


Speed Dating

by RensSaxophone



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:47:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24470791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Summary: It's a fluff/smut fic (smut chapters will be marked)
Relationships: Jinguuji Ren / Kurosaki Ranmaru / Male!Reader
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter One

I was unsure, if not a bit skeptical, when I had heard about the “hour-long boyfriend” campaign, but when a close friend of mine had brought it up, I listened. 

“Trust me!” They were excitable about this, encouraging. Insistent. “If you find someone you like, and they like you back, they can invite you back, and if you keep getting invited back, they might even ask you to be in a real relationship! You can choose more than one of the boys they offer, and they’re all _really_ cute. You should at least give it a try! If it doesn’t work out, at least you got to hang out with a cute boy for an hour, right?”

It seemed silly, and definitely unbelievable, but in the end, I had decided that I’d at least look at the profiles they had for the boys. It seems that there are periods, where certain boys become available- perhaps it was because of the underlying goal of trying to convince them to be your actual boyfriend? Or perhaps this was a side gig. 

I had heard, some time ago, about “professional cuddlers”, and I can’t help but wonder if this is something along those lines.

I truly had planned on just looking- but two of the profiles had really stood out to me. One was a man named Ranmaru. His interests were bass, cooking and sleeping, and he was labeled as the “Rock Boyfriend”. The name itself had made me laugh, but he was undeniably my type, from what I could tell by the little information and the attached picture. Ranmaru had been labeled with a preference for men.

The second man that had caught my attention was named Ren. He seemed to be the prettier type- his interests being saxophone, darts, driving and photography. He was the “Charming Boyfriend”, with no preference of gender. 

When I filled out the form, expressing my interest in the two men, I had to fill out a few questions. 

I didn’t have anything to put down as far as what I wouldn’t be comfortable with- not that I could imagine anything getting that wild in an hour. The other questions were just various questions about myself, things like a short description of my own interests, or my favorite food and easy to eat snack type, or what I prefer to drink. 

The more interesting question was my preference on what they would call me- and I was given a few options, different between the boys. 

For Ren, I chose my primary ‘pet name’ to be baby- though I did check the other option, making it clear I didn’t mind others. Compared to Ranmaru’s options, Ren’s seemed intimidatingly vast. 

Ranmaru had significantly less- though I had chosen babe. Nothing wrong with the classics.

I get a date and a time almost as soon as I submit my form, and the date is only a few days away. Early in the morning, I would be visiting Ranmaru, and then a few hours later, I would move to Ren. 

When the day comes, I find myself shifting, a bit nervous- standing outside of the door. It wasn’t a very large building, situated near a few others though not actually touching any of the other stand alone buildings, and I’d lift my hand, knocking. 

When the door opens, I’m initially taken aback. The pictures _certainly_ hadn’t done Ranmaru justice- because in person, he was incredibly attractive. More than I had any right to expect. 

His hair was messy, and with the way that the light hit it, it looked almost white. It was a clearly unnatural color, but it suited him well. He was pale, and it was almost a bit accentuated by the dark clothing he was wearing- a ripped up band shirt and some dark wash jeans, and a few studded bracelets. He was only in socks, but a pair of heavy boots were just inside of the door, clearly belonging to him. As I take him in, he waits, a dark grey eyebrow raised- but I have to take an extra second to take in his eyes. His grey eye seemed to be closer to the shade of his eyebrows, but the pink was the first one I’d notice, before I really took in his expression. Waiting for me. 

“Was wonderin’ when you’d get ‘ere. C’mon.” Ranmaru steps back into the room, holding open the door. I’d step inside, enough that Ranmaru could close the door behind me as I take off my shoes. “Y’can put ‘em near mine. It’s fine.” I’d give a short smile, though it drops a bit as I set down my shoes. When I straighten up, to glance back at Ranmaru, his hair seems darker- much more silver than white, now. 

“You’re Ranmaru, right?” 

“Ran.” Ranmaru’s correction is gruff. “We’ve only got an hour. If y’really wanna take things first meetin’ slow, that’s all up ‘t you, but the whole idea ‘a this is ‘t pretend like you’ve got a boyfriend. Sounds like a waste ‘a yer time, ‘t not take advantage of that.” When I stare at him, unsure exactly how to proceed, he scoffs a bit. “‘Ere. Why don’t we sit on the couch? This meetin’s all up ‘t you on what we do.”

I nod, but he waits, cueing me to walk to the couch first. I take in the room quickly- there are band posters over the walls, all painted a maroon type of red. There’s a large couch, and a chair in the middle of the room in front of a TV mounted to the wall. It looks like there’s a bathroom, further into the room, and a small kitchenette. There don’t appear to be any other rooms, or doors, so I can only imagine that this setup is meant to imitate an actual house. It was a nice living room- with a few basses hung up on the walls among the posters and a collection of music. In one corner of the room there seems to be a record player, and that’s the first thing that would get my attention. I pause, almost to the couch, and Ranmaru seems to see where my sight lands. “Can I go look at your music?”

Ranmaru seems to become a bit more interested- this is clearly a more comfortable topic for him. “Yeah. ‘Course.” 

I change my route, to go to the shelf, and I notice that most, if not all, of the titles are rock titles- and many of them seem to be classic rock. “This is a really impressive collection.” 

“Thanks. Took a couple ‘a years.” I had been the mostly obviously uncertain out of the two of us, but the way that Ranmaru is leaning against the wall makes him seem almost comfortable, and it helped set me at ease, too. “If ya wanna listen ‘t any of the albums, ‘ve got the record player right behind ya for it.”

I don’t recognize all of the music, but I choose an album I find to be more familiar, carefully sliding it out of the shelf. Ranmaru doesn’t say anything about the choice- but I catch his nod of approval as I bring the sleeve over to the record player. There isn’t a record currently set up, but I’m careful with the disc as I set it in. Ranmaru’s come over, hovering over my shoulder. 

“‘Ere. This one’s kinda weird.” Ranmaru’s arm brushes mine, as he helps me set up the needle and adjust the buttons on the bottom of the stand. “Not quite a vintage one, but it works just as well. Sounds actually probably a ‘lil clearer, even.”

I watch him, as the record begins to spin and the music begins to play. 

“‘S there a certain song you wanna listen to? Could probably get us closer.” 

I do glance at the sleeve, and I do end up tapping a song. Ranmaru glances down, to look at the one I’m pointing out. “I think it’s on the B-side, though.”

Ranmaru exhales through his nose, but it doesn't really sound annoyed, and the slight curve of his lips makes his next line seem teasing. “Makin’ me do all kinds ‘a work, huh?” He lifts the needle, almost pressed against my shoulder as he begins to flip the record. I would step out of the way, but between Ranmaru, the wall and the actual player, I’m trapped. 

“I can get out of your way.” I’d offer. 

Ranmaru makes a dismissive noise. “You’re fine.” Ranmaru adjusts the needle on the B-side, landing near the end of the song just before the one I had chosen, and my eyebrows raise. 

“That was fast.”

Ranmaru grunts. “Got used ‘t it. ‘Ve been in this room fer a while. ‘M just as fine usin’ my phone for music, but it’s not really as good of a group activity.”

“So this is pretty common, then? Listening to music?”

“Not really as common as you’d think.” My song starts, but most of my focus is on Ranmaru. “A couple ‘a people do what you did. Stand by the door fer a minute, not really sure what ‘t do- but it usually turns into cuddlin’ on the couch fer an hour. Think most people assume all this shit’s for decoration.”

“So that means the basses are real then, too?”

“‘Course they are. I mean, if I were gonna play, I’ve got my bass set down over there-” Ranmaru’s chin jerks to an area a bit behind the chair, where a bass is resting on a stand. “Wouldn’t take one off ‘a the walls or anythin’, but they’re real basses. With the exception ‘a the posters, I don’t see the point in wastin’ money on any kinda decoration that’s nothin’ but decoration.”

“Like the benches you see sometimes at parks? The ones you can’t sit on?”

“Yeah.” Ranmaru seems a bit amused by my example, but he nods. 

“Does that mean that’s an activity, too? Listening to you play?” My eyes glance back towards the bass behind the chair, and Ranmaru’s eyebrow raises. 

“If that’s what you wanna do.” Ranmaru’s voice is almost indifferent, but it’s clear in his eyes that he likes my suggestion. He’s clearly passionate about his music- something that, in my opinion, made him all the more attractive.

“I’d love to hear you play.” The absurdity of the situation isn’t completely lost on me- but finding the common interest in music had set me much more at ease. By the time Ranmaru reaches forward, to stop the record playing, I finally realize that the song I had chosen had already ended and the next song had started. Ranmaru takes the sleeve from my hands, and the tips of his fingers brush mine as he does, a gesture so casual that I’m not sure if it was purposeful or not. His lips curl up, into a small smile, only reinforcing the idea that he did like my suggestion. 

I was glad. And live music was always an added benefit. I was interested to see his skills. 

Ranmaru slides the disc back into the sleeve, putting it back into its spot on the shelf. His hand lands casually on my shoulder, a light, guiding pressure. “Why don’t y’go sit on the couch?” I’d nod, moving. As I walk over, I make the quick decision in my head, to decide where on the couch I should sit- but considering the bass is closest to the chair, I’d choose to sit on the end of the couch, close to the chair. Ranmaru walks behind the couch, picking up his bass with a natural ease. My eyes follow him closely, as he settles onto the chair, positioning his bass in his lap seemingly on instinct. “Any requests?”

“What kind of music do you play?” I pause, at the end of my sentence, and I can’t help the slight smile. “I know it’s probably rock music- but I guess I’m asking if you do covers, or original music?”

Ranmaru snorts, a clearly amused noise. “Mostly original, but ‘s long as I know the song I can play it.”

“I’d love to hear some of your original music.” I shift, leaning just a bit closer- against the arm of the chair. He was casual, but if he were honest, it seemed like he was skilled, and I was excited to hear him play. 

Ranmaru nods, his focus seemingly having shifted to the instrument in his lap. His movements are smooth, and my eyes are drawn to his hands, almost entranced by the ease in which he plucks the strings. It’s not as smooth of a sound as using a pic, but it’s beautiful. 

Ranmaru plays a large portion of the song, and despite the heavy rock aspect of it, the sound itself is gorgeous and his talent shines through. 

“That was amazing.” My voice is almost a bit too high, and when I speak next, I focus on dropping my voice again, but I can’t help the smile. “I’m glad I asked. That right there already made the hour worth it.”

Ranmaru snorts, but he seems proud in his skills and glad to hear my compliment. When I glance back up to his face, I find my eyes sticking to his yet again. 

“If you don’t mind me asking-” My eyes focus primarily on his left eye. “Your eye?”

“It’s a contact.” Ranmaru confirms. 

“It looks good.” 

Ranmaru’s eyebrow raises, but he grunts. “Thanks.”

My eyes flicker back down to the bass, and I shift again, leaning further into the side of the couch. “Would you play another song?”

Ranmaru grins. “How could I argue with good taste?”

My hand lifts, covering my hand, hiding my amused smile, but as Ranmaru begins to play my hand drops, my full attention on him. 

Ranmaru plays a few songs, at my request, and I’m transfixed during every one. No matter how this ended up, I’d say it was worth it- just listening to his music. 

Ranmaru’s eyes flicker up to the clock. “Shit. Looks like we’re ‘bout done.” 

I nod, though the disappointment I felt was almost a bit surprising. I’d smile at him. “Thank you for your time.”

Ranmaru’s scoff is amused, getting up to set down his bass- but when he passes near the couch, he uses his free hand to ruffle my hair. “No need ‘t be so formal. It was fun. Hope you liked it, too.”

“I did.”

I stand up from the couch, offering him another smile- and his lips curl up at the edges. We head to the door, and he leans against the wall as I put my shoes back on. “Stay safe, babe.” It’s more of a grunt than anything.

“You too, Ran.”

I head to my car to wait, but there’s an undeniable warmness in my chest. I wonder if maybe I should have taken advantage of the temporary boyfriend idea- if maybe I should have done more, than to just listen to him play music, but I couldn’t find it in myself to regret it.


	2. Chapter Two

A few hours later, I find myself in front of another building. The outside of the building looks the same as Ranmaru’s- but I can’t imagine that the inside will. I bring my hand up, to knock on the door- though a bit of nervousness hits me again. I had actually found myself comfortable around Ranmaru, very shortly in, but this was throwing myself into the deep end all over again. The door opens quickly. 

There seems to be a theme, because Ren is more handsome than his picture had suggested, too. His hair was down, one side tucked behind his ear, and the color reminds me of a soft sunset- a bright color but not painful to look at. His eyes were striking, almost as much as Ranmaru’s but in a very different way. The blue was a similar color to a sapphire, sparkling very similar to the gem- and he was much more tan than Ranmaru was. He was stylish, for sure, his shirt partway unbuttoned and his pants tight enough to leave very little to the imagination. 

Attractive was an understatement. 

Where did they manage to find these men?

Ren’s smile is very self-confident, watching me size him up, and when he speaks, his voice is almost a purr. “Like what you see, baby?”

Ranmaru had been fairly friendly, despite his gruff demeanor- but Ren’s attitude comparatively felt like whiplash and I couldn’t help the heat that flooded to my cheeks. Ren reaches out, his index finger landing just under my chin, and he leans close to me- so close that his nose almost brushes mine. 

“You’re cute.” The purr is gone from his voice, but I can’t miss his smirk. “But it’s rude, leaving such a cute boy outside. Come in.” I listen, when his hand retreats, his fingertip brushing beneath my chin as he does. He certainly made it difficult to get the blush off of my face. When I step in, I enter enough for Ren to close the door and I slip off my shoes, next to his. I take a second, to take in the room. 

It’s another living room style, and the basic set up is the same as Ranmaru’s - a kitchenette and a bathroom. There’s a couch, a bit smaller than Ranmaru’s, and a chair as well, set in front of a TV. There’s a coffee table in front of Ren’s couch, and I realize, looking at it, that Ranmaru didn’t have a table in his living room. The walls were lighter, making the room seem less condensed- and on one wall was a dart board, and on another was a corkboard, full of pictures. There was a saxophone leaning on a stand, further in the room as well. 

My attention is caught by the corkboard- and I take a few steps closer, to take a better look at the pictures. They were mostly pictures of places- or of items. There weren’t many of people, and there were no visible faces on the people that were pictured, mostly shadows and silhouettes, or people facing away from the camera. 

I’m only in front of the board for a moment when I feel hands land on my waist, and Ren’s chest pressed against my back. His head lands on mine. “I love that you’re interested in my photography-” The purr has returned back to his voice. “But I think that I’d prefer your attention on me. An hour in your company isn’t nearly enough.”

I glance back, though until he finally lets me go, I can’t turn to see him. His hands move off of my waist, but his slender fingers brush over the back of my forearm, down until his fingers wrap around my wrist, stopping only when his hand has grabbed mine.

“Why don’t we go onto the couch?” Ren’s smile is breathtaking, and I find myself nodding. Ren pulls me with him, until we get to the couch- though getting closer I think I’d consider it more of a loveseat, which seems fitting with Ren’s vibe. Ren sits down, and he urges me to sit with him. His arms wrap around me as soon as I’m sitting, pulling me into his side- and I can’t help but notice how warm he is. 

It was quick, but his embrace was undeniably comforting. Ren’s arms tighten around me, until my head lands on his shoulder. I wasn’t used to this- but I couldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it. Ren certainly knew what he wanted- or maybe what I wanted. 

It may have been a good thing, that I visited two of them- because I really did enjoy the music session with Ranmaru, but I was less than ten minutes into visiting Ren, and I already felt content, with his arms wrapped tightly around me.

“What would you like to do?” Ren hums. 

I’m quiet for a few seconds- because I’m interested in exploring his room, but I don’t want to move. At least not yet. “Could I ask you a few questions?”

“Ask away.”

“You like driving, right?” I asked about the first thing I could remember from his list of interests- and I’d choose to mention the one that wasn’t featured in his room. 

Ren chuckles, a low, smooth sound that rumbles through his chest. “I do. I see you’ve done some research.”

“I wouldn’t call it that- I just read your profile.” 

“Well I’m glad you choose me.” I glance up, catching Ren’s smooth grin. “Those profile pictures certainly don’t do us much justice.”

“They’re not comparable.” I agree. “But I wouldn’t say that they’re bad.” 

“That’s sweet.”

I give a small smile, before realizing I had been entirely side tracked. “Your driving- what kind of places do you like to go to?”

“I normally don’t have destinations. I like to get behind the wheel and just go wherever I feel like going- though I have found a few nice spots. A few of the photos on the wall that you were looking at are actually from some of my drives.”

“Really?” I glance back over at the wall, though it’s much harder to see the small photos from our place on the couch. “The photos are beautiful. You have a talent for photography.”

“You spoil me.” Ren’s head moves, his head resting against mine. 

“It’s interesting. I think your interests are really cool.” I’m being genuine- it was nice. Both Ranmaru and Ren had really interesting dynamics- and they both seem like the type of people I’d like to meet and become friends with. “And the saxophone, too. That’s a really interesting instrument to play.”

Ren laughs at that. “It’s certainly a sexy instrument. I’ve been playing it most of my life.”

Sexy, huh? I find myself picturing Ren, his head tilted back, his hands wrapped around the pretty golden body of the instrument- the beautiful sounds of the instrument. I had no reason to believe that he was any less skilled at his craft than he was at taking his photos- or that he was any less talented than Ranmaru was with his instrument.

I glance to the clock, and I’m almost shocked, to see that I’m already down to less than fifteen minutes remaining. It felt like I had just stepped in- and I actually felt a bit of a loss for a second, realizing how close I was to being done. I hadn’t felt it with Ranmaru, despite the good time that I had in his room, because I had known I was going to be visiting Ren. 

An hour really was nothing.

My silence gets Ren’s attention, and Ren shifts, so that he can pull me closer. One of his hands raise, to run his fingers through my hair. “Time really does fly, doesn’t it?” Ren is a wonderful actor- his voice almost seems to reflect my own feelings. The dismay at how quickly the time had past. “But we still have some time. Why don’t we spend it like this, baby?”

I’d nod, and I cautiously reach out, to wrap my arms around Ren in return. He seems happy with my reciprocation. Time actually does seem to slow, just a bit, as I relax in his grip, but he finally sighs, rubbing my back. “Unfortunately, my darling, I’m afraid our time is up.”

It’s harder than I thought it would be, to pull myself away from him, but I do. His fingers brush across my back as I stand, and he stands right behind me. He steadies me with a good natured chuckle as I try to get feelings back in my legs.

“Careful.” Ren’s hand is slow to remove itself from my arm, but he eventually does. 

I do head towards the door, but just before I set to getting my shoes on, I give Ren a soft smile. “Thank you.”

“Thank _you_ , baby. I enjoyed spending this time with you.”

After my shoes are back on, Ren holds open the door for me. Just before I exit, he grabs my hand- lifting it to press a short kiss to the back of it. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too, Ren.”

I have to sit in my car for a moment, to gather myself. Even a few hours apart, I could still feel my head spinning from the sheer differences in the hour I spent with both boys- but I couldn’t decide which one I had enjoyed more. 

Ranmaru was a passionate man, and I really did enjoy both our silences and our conversation, and the music was something I’d love to go through again. But Ren was _definitely_ charming, and to say that he was only a good cuddler would be an insult. I felt cold, without his arms around me. 

I couldn’t believe how whipped I was after only one visit with them- but I couldn’t regret my decision. 

It’s only two days later when I get an email from the same address that had sent me the times that I’d be meeting Ren and Ranmaru- to tell me that I’d been reinvited by _both_ of them, as well as the times, less than a week in the future. 

At first, I had to reread the email. 

Really? 

I thought it went well- but it was still a first meeting. I found it very hard to believe that they’d both ask me to come back, but I really did enjoy the first hour, and I wasn’t going to pass up a direct invitation back.


	3. Chapter Three

I’d actually arrive twenty minutes earlier than I needed to, a bit less than a week later- sitting in my car as I’d wait. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be exactly the same, or if it would be different, but I was excited to see both of them again. I’m a bit nervous at the same time, though. 

It had been made clear that if you got far enough with them, that they could ask you to go steady. I wasn’t sure that I believed I’d actually make it that far, but it didn’t change that I was still seeing _two_ of them, and something about that didn’t feel right. What would I do if they both invited me back again? I couldn’t continue with _both_ of them, right?

I’d end up at Ranmaru’s door, a few minutes before I was supposed to be there- but a minute or two before the time actually started, the door opens. 

“Y’don’t have ‘t just stand outside, babe. You can come in.”

I’d smile, a bit sheepishly, but I’d enter the room. “I was surprised to be invited back.” I’d admit. “But I’m glad I was.”

“Good. But this one’s not gonna be the exact same as last time.”

“Oh?”

“You an affectionate person?”

I’m a bit taken aback by the question, but I’d tilt my head, just a bit. “I like affection.” I’d land on. 

Ranmaru chuckles, seemingly amused. He shuts the door as I take off my shoes. “Good. ‘Cause last time you were here we didn’t touch, ‘n we didn’t talk. We basically just listened ‘t music and chilled. Which is great, obviously, but it’s also not really the point. So this time we’ve got some requirements.”

“Requirements?” I’m really taken aback now. My face reflects my surprise, but Ranmaru heads into the living room, to grab a folded paper from the island on the kitchenette. 

“So y’don’t _have_ ‘t do ‘em, but if you wanna keep gettin’ invited back, these are the minimum of what you’ve gotta do ‘t have a chance. ‘N like I said.” He returns, to hand me the paper. “Y’don’t need ‘t do these. If y’really wanted to just chill ‘n listen to music again, we could- but even if I invite you back fer every one ‘a these events, we don’t have a lot of ‘em, so we’ve gotta progress quick if we wanna keep movin’.” I stare at him, almost a bit blankly. “That’s a lotta shit ‘t throw on you, I know. But basically- this is your checklist, if you wanna keep comin’ back.”

I’d nod, but then I’d hesitate for a second, my fingers running over the paper. “I should be honest- I was also invited back for another boy.”

“That’s fine.” Ranmaru shrugs. “‘S long as you’re not goin’ on about ‘im in our time- I care about us in this room. We’ll figure out what we’ve gotta if it keeps goin’.”

I can’t help the grateful smile, and he gently nudges my hands a bit closer to myself, to return my attention to the paper. I’d nod, unfolding the paper to read them. 

**Requirements**

**\- 15 minutes of physical contact**   
**\- 15 minutes of talking**   
**\- 2 kisses**

I can’t help but get a bit flustered, at the last requirement. 

“Just start with whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ll help where I can, but you’re still in charge ‘a this session.”

I’d nod, and my eyes glance over the room. 

“If you’re lookin’ for a good place for the first one-” My eyes glance back to Ranmaru’s as he speaks. “We’ve got a few options. There’s the chair, ‘n obviously the couch but it pulls out into a bed, too.”

I perk up a bit at that, looking at the couch with a newfound interest. “I’d like that- to pull out the couch.” I’d glance at the open floor in front of it. “Is that why there isn’t a table?”

“Huh?” Ranmaru glances back, to figure out what I was talking about, and then he’d shrug. “Yeah, I guess. Haven’t actually pulled the bed out yet.”

“Oh?” I’m sure it likely didn’t mean much- but the thought did send a warm buzz through my chest, that I’d be the first one to properly lie down with Ranmaru. Whether that thought really were true or not, I’d hold onto it.

“Yeah. But here, I’ll get on ‘t gettin’ the couch out.” Ranmaru heads over to the couch, and I follow, though I admittedly keep my distance, hovering just a bit. 

“Can I help?”

“Yeah, ‘s there a latch over there?” 

I glance to him, noticing where Ranmaru was searching his side of the couch, and I’d look in the same area- but the bed area of the couch had lifted quickly, managing to startle me. My hand lands over my chest as the cushions fall off as the bed part lifts. Ranmaru does take long enough to make sure it was just the surprise, and then he seems to have a hard time suppressing his grin. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” I feel myself going a bit red. “Just… didn’t expect that.” 

Ranmaru laughs, but when he moves to gather the cushions that had fallen, he squeezes my shoulder. “Probably should’a messed around with the couch earlier. Wasn’t kiddin’ when I said I hadn’t used it. I’ll get it the rest ‘a the way, but if y’go into the bathroom there’s a closet fer towels ‘n stuff, ‘n I think that’s where they shoved a couple ‘a pillows ‘n blankets. Will you go grab ‘em?”

“Of course.” I’d nod, making my way to the bathroom door. I hadn’t entered this room yet, but it’s larger than I had expected it to be. There’s a tub and shower combo, and on the other side of the bathroom there’s a cabinet. The bathroom’s walls were the same dark maroon that the rest of the living room was, and the rug was in the shape of a skull. I’d head to the cabinet. When I open it, there are a few grey towels on the top shelf, two blankets- a heavy red one and a lighter, softer grey one, and three pillows stuffed into the bottom. I can hear the bed being pulled out further, and just as I’m trying to figure out exactly how to balance everything I’m trying to grab, Ranmaru appears in the bathroom door frame. 

“Here, hand me the blankets.” 

I grab the two, handing them over, and Ranmaru gives a short nod as he takes them, heading back into the living room. I grab the pillows, nudging the drawer closed and following him out. He’s dumped the blankets on the bed, and I follow suit, setting the pillows down. It was a decent sized pull out bed. 

Ranmaru and I stare at each other for a few long seconds, until he raises his eyebrow. “You first, babe.”

I glance back to the bed, and I finally move forward. I climb onto the bed, and Ranmaru is quick to follow me. He moves the pillows and unfolds the lighter blanket. I lie down, to roll onto my side, and Ranmaru pulls the blanket over both of us as he settles down. Ranmaru reaches out, to pull me closer, flush against his chest. When I shift, my nose presses to the crook of his neck, and my lips to his collar bone. 

“That’s cute.” Ranmaru mumbles. “But it doesn’t count.”

I tilt my head, closing my eyes as I hide my face. My hand lands on his side. It takes me a second, to finally tilt my head up, and our faces are close enough that I can feel his breath. “The kisses. Are you alright with them?”

“‘S what the card says.”

“Yes. But do _you_ want them?”

“You’re not gonna pass if you don’t kiss me.” There’s a layer of amusement I can sense under his expression. 

I plan to tell him that he isn’t giving me real answers- but before I can even open my mouth, Ranmaru has leaned forward. Only a second after his lips meet mine his hand lifts, to cradle the side of my face. His lips are soft, but the kiss itself is rougher. When he pulls away, I feel a bit breathless, and it’s clear that he’s feeling the same. 

Ranmaru settles back down, his arm returning to its place, wrapped around my waist. I felt a bit tired, pressed against him, and comfortably warm between Ranmaru and the blanket. 

“I know I said I wasn’t gonna lead this, but I’ll count it anyways. The second one’s gonna be up ‘t you.”

I hum, acknowledging that I understood. My eyes close, leaning against him, and he chuckles. 

“We should do the talking.” I mumble, forcing myself to open my eyes. Ranmaru was dangerously comfortable. Ranmaru grunts. “I have an idea.” 

“Shoot.”

“We could do a fact exchange. I can give a fact about myself and then you could give me a fact about _your_ self.”

“Sounds fair.”

As we speak, we go back and forth. Ranmaru gives me facts that equal the ones I give him- the more serious I get, the more serious he does. 

A few of the things I had learned, as the hour came to a close, was that he styled his hair, and that, combined with his contact, was all for his ‘rock’ appearance. I learned that he dyed his hair, and he was originally a brunette, though he has no plans to stop dying his hair- much preferring the grey color. I learned that he really enjoyed cooking, and was apparently pretty good at it- and I learned that two of the other boys that were offered as temporary boyfriends were people that Ranmaru had known since he was a child. And it happened that one of those two men was Ren. 

Ranmaru finally sighs, squeezing me tightly. “Think it’s probably ‘bout time that we got up. We’ve only got about five minutes left.”

“Alright.” The feeling of disappointment of our time ending was stronger this time. It takes at least two of our five minutes to actually untangle ourselves from each other, but when I go to try to help Ranmaru straighten up, he stops me. 

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll go ahead ‘n get it when you’re gone.”

“If you’re sure- then thank you.”

Ranmaru grunts, but he reaches up, to ruffle my hair. He follows me to the door, but I stop him just in front of it with a hand on his wrist. I smile up at him, and then I lean forward. He meets me, halfway through the lean, connecting our lips. I pull away, just a bit, my smile a bit wider. “Thank you for your time.”

Ranmaru snorts. “‘M glad I invited you back. It was nice.”

The sentiment warms my chest, and despite the still lingering disappointment in having to leave, I’m still smiling as I do.


	4. Chapter Four

I get myself together in my car, to prepare myself to enter Ren’s house in now less than an hour. I show up a few minutes early to his door, too, but Ren seems to already be waiting for me, leaning against the door. 

“Hey, baby.” Ren smiles as soon as I walk up, and when I’m a few steps away from him, he steps forward, to put his hands on my waist. He brushes his nose against mine, smiling. “I’m glad to see you again.”

I’m less taken aback than I was last time, but it does still take a beat too long for my hands to land on Ren’s arms, and he seems happy when I respond. 

“You really are adorable.” He compliments, his voice sweet. “Let’s go inside.” He squeezes my waist, letting me go with only one hand to open the door. I release his arms, but his hand slides across my lower back, to wrap itself around the other side of my waist, holding me close to him. 

“Ren- there is something I should let you know.” I know my voice sounds awkward, but Ren’s attention turns fully towards me, before he’s even closed the door. “I have been seeing another one of the boys here.”

“Is that all?” Ren’s smile is soft. He lets me go, to close the door, and then his hand lands on my cheek, his thumb running along my cheekbone. “That’s no problem, baby. I promise that won’t affect how I treat you, or my decision.”

“Decision? You mean to invite me back, right?”

“Exactly.” Ren nods, his smile still in place. “But now-” Ren’s hand pulls away from my cheek, long enough for me to remove my shoes, and he then takes my hand instead, pulling me further into the living room. “Have you already visited your other suitor?” 

Something about Ren’s phrasing makes me go a bit red, but I nod. 

“Then I’m sure you know what’s in store.” Ren’s smile is almost teasing. “I wrote up a few conditions I’d like you to meet, based off of our last visit.” 

“So you make the lists?”

“We do. We need to make sure that if we’re really interested in pursuing things that it can work out- it’s a very fast process, unfortunately, but it’s my goal to make this pleasant. Because right now, it’s our choice just how far we take it with you- but in the end, it’s going to be your choice.” Ren stops, just in front of his coffee table. The paper is smaller, neater, and it isn’t folded, the way that Ranmaru’s was. Ren offers it to me, and I take it with my free hand.

**_Conditions_ **

**_~ Cuddling (Ren’s choice)_ **   
**_~ Speak about yourself_ **   
**_~ An ‘I love you’_ **

“Now, I’d like to make a comment on one.” Ren’s expression is almost a bit amused, but it’s softer, too. “It doesn’t have to be real. I certainly don’t expect that after one visit- I’d just like to hear you say it.”

I glance at Ren’s face, and I look at the paper for a moment. Whether my feelings were real, or just how strong they actually were- I certainly had some. For both Ren and Ranmaru. My voice comes out soft, but do watch Ren’s face as I speak. “I love you, Ren.”

I like the spark that flares in Ren’s eyes. It wasn’t the strongest way to say that phrase- but it didn’t sound _empty_. That was clearly enough for Ren, based off of his happy and content expression- and the bright laugh he’d give me. “Going right off the bat. I like it.” Ren’s hands return to my hips to pull me closer. “So why don’t we cuddle and talk?”

It takes a second for me to wrap my arms around Ren’s neck, but I do. “That sounds good. But why specifically about me?”

Ren raises an eyebrow, his face only a few inches from mine. “You were slick last time-” His lips are curved up in a smirk, but I almost feel scolded. “But in an entire hour you learned far more about me than I got to know about you.” Ren moves just a bit closer, his nose brushing mine, and his eyes seem darker. “You really left me wondering.”

I feel breathless, with Ren this close to me, but he finally pulls back. “My choice position is to have you sit on my lap, doll.” His thumb moves over my hip, before he slowly retracts his hands as I nod. 

Ren takes my hand once more, but lets my hand go and turns me after we’ve made our way to the couch. He sits first, and his hands return to my hips. I can feel my face burn a bit, as I sit down on his lap, and his arms wrap around me. 

One hand moves to cup my face, and there’s a teasing smile on Ren’s face, his thumb brushing over my cheek. “You’re too cute.” I’m turned, sitting almost sideways on Ren’s lap, held against his chest. It’s a strange position- but I find myself just as comfortable as I had been last time he held me. “But now-” Ren’s smile is soft. “I’d like to hear more about you.”

I spend much longer than I actually mean to, talking about myself to Ren. It starts simple- but he asks continuous follow-up questions. I do manage to learn a bit more about him, in bits and pieces. He doesn’t speak much of his mom, but he does mention that she had been an idol, and he mentions his brothers. 

Ren compliments me just as much as I had complimented him, the first time that we had spoken. He was attentive, though it surprisingly wasn’t overwhelming. He was a skilled conversationalist, and knew just when to encourage me to get me to keep talking. 

Ren sighs during one of the lulls, rubbing my back, and I wonder for a second if our session is over. “We only have ten moments left, darling. What would you like to do with them?”

I’m admittedly relieved to hear that there is still some time left. I shift carefully, my forehead pressing to the side of Ren’s neck. “Could we just sit here like this?” 

Ren’s voice is a coo, but he seems happy at my suggestion. “Of course we can.” 

One of Ren’s hands moves to my upper thigh, and the other rests on my back, his thumb brushing over my shirt in a lulling motion. 

Similar to the first visit, in our comfortable silence the time seems to move slower- and just like the first visit, I feel a heavy sense of disappointment when I have to stand up. Ren stands up right after me, and I smile a bit apologetically. “Your legs must be asleep by now.” 

Ren chuckles, his hand landing on my shoulder as he escorts me to the door. “It was worth it.” He assures. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

I smile up at him, and I can feel the fondness in the expression. 

They really were able to find incredibly charming boys. 

I don’t know that I’d be interested in necessarily ‘visiting’ one of the other boys- especially after visiting Ren and Ranmaru, but it does make me interested to meet them. Interested to see if they’re all as different and interesting as Ren and Ranmaru have been. 

Ren waits for me to get on my shoes before he wraps his arms around me, his smile fond as well. His hug is tight and his voice is low when he speaks near my ear, no more than a mumble. “Keep your head up, doll.” 

“Thank you, Ren.” Ren presses a short kiss to the top of my head before he pulls away, slowly, his fingers brushing over my arms, hesitating for only a few seconds before he opens the door for me.


	5. Chapter Five

My next email comes much quicker- only a day after I had left them. 

The wordy way that this email is worded had scared me, initially. The last one had been a simple invitation, and I was worried that this one was explaining to me why I _wouldn’t_ be returning- but instead, it was instructions. 

The first thing I notice is that my times have been switched. Next week, I’m visiting Ren first- and I have to double check the times when I notice that they’ve been extended to two hours each. 

I’m prompted to respond to this email, with instructions for the boys. 

The short blurb explains that this week _I_ am the one making the conditions for the boys, and I’m to write these on a paper that I bring in to my visit. The information I’m asked to send is any appearance requests I have for them- hairstyle, accessories or clothing. 

It takes me a while, deciding exactly what I’d like to send, but I do eventually settle on something. 

_Ren -_   
_Hair braided or pulled back_   
_Relaxing clothing_

_Ranmaru -_   
_Hair unstyled_   
_No contact_   
_Sleep clothes_

Ranmaru’s made me a bit more nervous as a demand than Ren’s did- but I’d send it anyways. 

I liked Ranmaru’s style. It fit him well, and he was extremely attractive- but I’d like to see him casual. I hoped he’d take it well.

I don’t sleep well the night before I go in- getting no more than an hour or two. I had stayed up late, editing my requests to make sure they were right, and after that I had found that sleep wouldn’t come easily. Even I wasn’t sure if it was excitement, nerves, or a mixture of both. 

I leave Ranmaru’s card in my car, but I bring Ren’s with me as I make my way to his room. He’s waiting outside for me again, and I have to take a moment to take him in. 

His hair is braided at the sides, leading back into a low ponytail. He’s wearing a pair of slim, black-rimmed glasses, and he’s in a loose shirt and jeans not nearly as tight as the ones he had been wearing in the past two visits. He smiles when he sees me, and I smile back, approaching him quickly. 

“You look good.” I compliment. “I like your hair like that.”

Ren grins. “I’m glad you like it.” His nose brushes mine. “Why don’t we head inside.” He once again releases me to wrap his arm around my waist, opening the door. He lets me go so that I can remove my shoes quickly, though his eyes draw to the card in my hand. 

“Are those my instructions?”

“They are.” I affirm, offering him the card. 

_Requests_   
_*A game of darts_   
_*A kiss_   
_*An ‘I love you’_

“It doesn’t have to be real.” My voice has a teasing edge to it. “But I’d like to hear you say it.”

Ren grins, clearly amused, glancing up from the list. He sets it down, on the arm of the couch. “It’s simple. I like it.” Ren takes your hand. “I’ve tried to let you lead the sessions, up until now- but today is going to be my responsibility to make _you_ choose me.”

“Is that what you were talking about? Is this the final one already?” I’m a bit shocked at the idea, but Ren shakes his head. 

“Not quite. This isn’t the _final_ date, the one where you really have to decide. This one is… special.” Ren smiles. “Not everyone gets this kind of date.”

“What do you mean?”

“This kind of date is special. I trusted you enough to give you control over our date today.” Ren squeezes my hand tightly. “Which I’m glad I did. I like your conditions.” Ren chuckles. “But not everyone that makes it this far gets to. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, to not get this- but you did get the benefit of choosing what I’d wear today.” Ren grins, but it falls into a more neutral expression as he continues. “Some people are still under my conditions, but I wanted to give you a chance to show me what _you_ wanted. And like I said- I think I made a good choice.”

I can’t help but think of Ranmaru- did he feel the same? He must have chosen to let me choose, too, just like Ren. “Thank you.”

“Thank _you_.” Ren’s voice is teasing. “You did all of the work this week. Why don’t we go start our game?”

“That sounds perfect.” I smile back at him widely, and he leads me by the hand to the board. It’s a bristle dart board, so the darts themselves have sharp metal tips. Ren has a set of six sticking in the board, three yellow and three red. He lets go of my hand to take the darts from the board, and he separates them, yellow in one hand and red in the other.

“Pick a color.”

“I’ll go with red.” Ren offers me the darts. 

“Should I be scoring?”

“I don’t think you’ll need to.” I admit sheepishly. “I have a feeling you’re better at this than I am.”

Ren chuckles. “Confidence, baby. I’m sure you can give me a run for my money.”

“No going easy on me.” 

“Me? Never.” 

“Maybe you should go first. Show me how it’s done.”

“If you insist- but you’re going to do fine.”

For the first game, we take turns. Ren throws the first dart, landing in the green in the middle of the board. My first dart landed on the black, not actually hitting a point value on the board. His second was a bullseye- and my second landed up and to the left, but it was a score valued shot. 

Ren’s last hit the green again, and my last was well below it, just barely above the black. 

“See? You didn’t do badly.” Ren walks up to the board, to take off the darts. 

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“There aren’t any holes in my wall.” Ren grins. “You did good. But here-” Ren moves, setting down five of the six darts onto the kitchenette island, the closet nearby table, before he walks back to me. He takes my hand, holding the dart above it. “Grab it.” I do, and he adjusts my fingers, so that my thumb is on one side of it and my index and middle are on the other. He adjusts my arm, bending it and holding it up, before he slides behind me. One hand rests on my waist, and the other holds my hand. His voice is low, and I feel his breath brush my ear as he instructs me. “You’ll want to look just a little bit higher than where you’re trying to land the dart. Keep the dart eye level, and pull back-” His hand brings mine back. “And throw forward.” He releases my hand, and I move it forward. It hits under the green, but it’s still the closest I’ve gotten yet.

“Good!” He praises, lowering his head to nuzzle his nose against the corner of my jaw. “See? It’s just a little bit of practice is all.”

“Can we play one more time?” 

“Of course.” Ren squeezes my waist before he pulls away, to grab the darts he had set down and to remove the one dart in the board. He hands me back the red darts. “Why don’t you go first this time?”

Ren’s three darts land near the middle, which was far better than my throws- but I did manage to land all three of my darts on the board. 

When all six are back on the board, Ren’s hand moves to cup my face, and he leans in close, his lips almost brushing mine. “You know, your early confession last time really was adorable.” There’s an amusement in his voice, and even now knowing that he was teasing me- I could still hear my heart beating, and I’d be surprised if he couldn’t. “But I think I’m going to hold onto mine for a little bit longer.” When he pulls away, I watch him, and his hand moves from my cheek to brush back my hair with a bit of a cheeky smile. “Why don’t we watch a movie? We still have an hour and a half. We can just cuddle together on the couch.”

I’d nod, still left breathless by his proximity- and I find myself wishing that he _had_ kissed me there. I was sure that when he finally did, it would be worth it. That didn’t keep me from wishing it already happened.

“You go sit on the couch and choose a movie.” Ren squeezes my arm. “I’m going to grab a few set up things. You can choose any movie you want.” 

I nod, and it doesn’t take me very long to find the remote. I sit down, to turn on the TV. The home screen is easy to navigate, and it doesn’t take me long to settle on a movie, trying to make sure that it’s on the shorter side. I wasn’t sure just how much either of us would really focus on the movie, but I wanted to make sure that we had time to finish it, anyways. The snacks and drinks Ren sets out on the coffee table reminds me that I had filled out what my favorites were- and Ren’s hand lands on my head. “I’m going to grab a blanket and then I’ll be right back.” I’d smile up at him.

I was sure that it was preparation- to have these in the kitchen from my forms, but it was sweet nonetheless. And maybe he had labeled them in his kitchen- or maybe he really had remembered. I wasn’t planning to ask.

Ren comes back with a soft orange blanket. “How do you want me?”

I think about it for a moment before I decide. “Can we cuddle like last time?”

“I’d love to have you on my lap, baby.” Ren grins. “I’m glad you liked it, too.”

Ren sits, but he puts his hand out to stop me when I try to get up, temporarily draping the blanket across the side of the couch. 

“Here, scoot closer to me.” I listen, and when I’m pressed against him, he just moves me onto his lap. I think it would have taken just as long to simply stand up and sit down on his lap, but in the end, I was happy with the position. Ren moves the blanket, shifting it so that it covers both of our laps, and I rest against his chest as he takes the remote to start the movie. 

In the end- I was right. I didn’t focus very much on the movie, too distracted by Ren- and I could find myself falling asleep. I would manage to stay awake, but it wasn’t an easy task- with Ren petting through my hair, and his thumb moves along the outside of my thigh in a soothing manner. I couldn’t tell if it was or wasn’t purposeful. 

During a lull in the movie, Ren’s hand moves from my thigh, to move to my cheek and to tilt my face up. He leans in close, his nose brushing mine. “I love you, baby.” He leans in, his lips pressing to mine in a soft, gentle and slow kiss. Despite the pace, I find that it wakes me up, with the way that my heart pounds in my chest. Ren’s expression is soft when he pulls away from me, and I give him an adoring smile. 

We fall back into a comfortable silence, and then, towards the end of the movie, Ren hums. “Are you hungry?”

I glance to the table, realizing I hadn’t touched the food that Ren had brought out. “How could I say no when you were nice enough to set it up.”

Ren chuckles, shifting me so he can grab the food, settling it in my lap. He presses a piece of the snack to my lips before I can even reach for the bowl- and while I do go a bit red, I open my mouth. 

Through the rest of the movie, Ren feeds me- and I may have insisted that I could feed myself, but his expression was adorable, as he did. He seemed happy doing it, and after the first few times, it started to feel almost normal. 

Ren was dangerously good at all of this. It was impressive- and it was even more impressive how quickly he had made me fall for him. 

The movie ends, and we spend a few minutes, cuddling in the same position. Ren finally sighs, holding tightly onto me as he leans forward, to set down the bowl. “I’m afraid our time is nearly up.” 

I sigh, the first time I’ve outwardly shown my disappointment in leaving. It softens Ren’s expression, and Ren’s hand moves to cup my face, and he presses his forehead to mine. “I know.” He says quietly. “I’m no happier about it. I really would keep you here, if I could.” 

“I did have a really good time today. Thank you for that, Ren.”

“Of course, baby. I had a wonderful time with you, too.”

It takes me a long second to stand up, but I finally do. Ren’s hands are slow to leave me as I do, but he stands after me, to walk me to his door. I notice from the corner of my eye that he grabs the bottle that I had barely touched, and I turn, “Oh, I’m sorry about that-”

“Don’t be.” Ren smiles. “I was actually just going to tell you that you can take it with you, if you’d like.”

“Thank you.” If it had been untouched, I may have been uncertain about taking it- but I would, giving him a grateful smile. 

“Before you go-” Ren grabs my free hand, lacing our fingers together. “Have I met your qualifications?”

“You went above and beyond, Ren. I’m incredibly happy.”

Ren squeezes my hand. “I’m very glad to hear that.” He pulls me a bit closer, to press a kiss to my forehead. “Take care of yourself, baby doll.”

“You too, Ren.” I squeeze his hand back. He finally lets it go, so that I can get my shoes on, and he opens the door for me. He gently squeezes my shoulder on the way out.


	6. Chapter Six

I go to my car, and I end up finishing my drink while I wait. By the time I’m done, it’s nearing the time that I need to be at Ranmaru’s room, so I grab his card and I go to his door. 

I knock on the door before he opens it, though I am a few minutes early. 

Similar with Ren, I have to take a moment to appreciate Ranmaru when he opens the door- his hair flat against his head, making his bangs seem fuller and his hair seem shaggier. His eyes were both grey, which almost seemed to soften his gaze. He wasn’t wearing any of his usual accessories, instead wearing a baggy sweatshirt and some sweatpants. I’m not even inside before he takes the card from my hand, to look it over. 

_Requests_   
_*15 minutes of bass_   
_*A nap_   
_*2 kisses_

Ranmaru snorts when he gets to the last one, but then he rereads the list and looks back up at me, narrowing his eyes a bit. He finally reaches out, to pull me inside, and I go. I’m barely inside when Ranmaru shuts the door and begins to pull his shirt off. 

“Ran?” I’m admittedly surprised, and incredibly confused. “Why are you taking off your shirt?”

When it’s off, he actually pushes it towards me, into my hands. “If you wanna take a nap, I dunno why you’d show up in _jeans_. You should change into that, ‘n then we can get started.”

I go a bit red, though I have to admit that he’s not wrong. I take off my shoes, and then he urges me towards the bathroom. I hear him messing with the couch bed as I change. The shirt goes down to my mid-thigh, and the sleeves, rolled down, are just a bit too long- but the shirt was very large on Ranmaru, too. 

I can’t deny I’m a bit nervous, walking out without pants- but it was an even trade, because Ranmaru wasn’t wearing a shirt. 

I leave the bathroom, but I realize that the bed is already covered in pillows and several blankets- more than last time. I wonder if he prepared, or if he had someone else using the bed with him. 

Ranmaru’s eyes stick on me as soon as I leave, his eyes roaming over my body. The only word for his expression that I can think of is hungry, and it sends a warmth through my body, overpowering any hesitation I had. 

He walks forward, to grab my clothes from me, to set them on the island of the kitchenette. 

“We should probably start with the bass, babe.” 

I’d nod, to head to the bed, but he’d stop me. 

“Give me a second ‘fore you sit anywhere, alright?”

“Alright.” I’m confused- to say the least, but I listen to him. He grabs his bass from behind the chair, and he settles on the chair in front of it, his bass still held to the side. He pats his thigh with his free hand. 

“C’mere.”

I do, curiously, but I settle into his lap when he leads me down with a hand on my waist. Even through the sweatshirt, his chest feels warm, pressed against mine. His chest is defined, and I can feel it. 

Ranmaru was a _very_ attractive man, in every way I’ve seen him- but I couldn’t lie. Seeing Ranmaru shirtless was _absolutely_ a turn on. He was fit. He had told me when we talked that he often ran and biked, and it seemed obvious that he did right now. He was strong, and I was reminded when his arms wrapped around me, and with the way his muscles flexed as he lifted the bass, resting it in my lap. 

“‘M gonna show you how ‘t play a couple ‘a chords, alright?”

“Really?” I was excited- and I think he could tell in my voice, because he’d give a low chuckle. 

“Yeah. So see where my hands are? Move yours by mine.”

I listen, holding the neck of the bass and gently hovering my hand over the strings. Ranmaru’s hand moves over mine on the strings. He squeezes my hand gently, before properly settling it. 

“So I’m gonna play a little, and I want you ‘t try to copy me. I’ll keep it real easy.” 

And he does. He’s slow, only playing a few notes, and I manage to copy it. 

That’s how we continue, getting progressively trickier- and by the end of only fifteen minutes, he’s taught me a short part of one of his songs. It was only a few seconds of it, but I felt proud, when I had gotten it down. Finally, we stop, and he moves the bass off of my lap. I climb off of him, watching as he returns the bass to his stand. He moves to me directly after, pulling me to him by my waist. He leans in closely, his voice a mumble. “Good job.” With that, our lips meet. He holds the kiss until we’re both breathless when he finally pulls away- though his grin is wolfish and my face is flushed. “We should get layin’ down, though, if you wanna nap.”

I’d nod, and he’d let me go so that I can climb onto the bed. He climbs on after me, grabbing a blanket to pull with him as I settle down, and he doesn’t stop until we’re already touching, though he doesn’t lay down until he’s got us both covered with the blanket. His arm moves, bending so that his head is on his hand, and he pulls me so that I’m using his arm as a pillow, his other hand landing on my bare thigh, where the shirt had ridden up. He pulls my leg up, around his waist, and his hand settles on my back, holding me tightly to him. My hand lands on his waist, but my eyes are already closing. I feel Ranmaru’s lips land on the top of my head, and I hum happily. I felt warm, comfortable and content, wrapped around Ranmaru. I fell asleep almost disappointingly quickly. 

“Hey, baby.” Ranmaru’s voice is low, and gentle. My eyes flutter open, and Ranmaru presses a short, soft kiss to my lips. “‘Mornin’.”

I give a soft, sleepy smile and a slight hum. It takes me a second, and the sleepiness doesn’t really disappear, but I do give a soft sigh, my smile fading. “It’s time to leave, isn’t it?” I mumble.

“Soon.” Ranmaru says grimly. “But there’s still about twenty minutes.” His hand has moved from my back, to run his thumb along my jaw. “You look exhausted. How’d you sleep last night?”

“Last night?” I mutter, needing to take a moment to actually think about it. “I don’t think I really slept. I just had trouble sleeping, I guess.”

Ranmaru clicks his tongue. “Go back ‘t sleep. It’s fine.”

“Huh? But our time-”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t you have someone else coming?”

“Nah.” Ranmaru’s hand returns to my back, holding me closer. “Ended up cuttin’ off most of ‘em. You’re my last one. At the end ‘a all of this, it’s gonna be you or nothin’. So you can stay later. It’ll be fine. ‘Sides. You drive, right? I don’t want you drivin’ tired.”

I stay quiet for a moment, but I finally shift, pulling myself just a bit closer as my eyes close. I’m not sure if it’s my exhaustion or the fact that I _do_ want to stay that keeps me in the bed. Ranmaru seems satisfied when I settle in again.

The next time that I wake up, Ranmaru is only just rousing himself. His sleepy expression makes me realize that he must not have slept earlier. He had seemed much too alert. Ranmaru’s hand slips down, off of my back and onto my bare thigh, squeezing it gently. I hum softly. Ranmaru’s blinks come slowly, and I can’t help but notice how soft his expression is. When I smile at him, he gives me a soft, sleepy smile in return. 

I know that I likely should be leaving soon- but I can’t bring myself to suggest it. Especially not right now, with Ranmaru’s fingers brushing over my leg and the soft look he’s giving me.

“Ya still look kinda tired.” Ranmaru’s expression slips into more of a neutral one. “You should stay here fer a ‘lil longer, if you can.”

“I’m free.” I shift closer to him, and he chuckles. 

“I’ve got some ingredients in the kitchen, ‘n case anyone wants a cookin’ lesson. I can make us somethin’ for dinner. ‘N afterwards we can figure out what we’re doin’ from there.”

“I definitely wouldn’t mind eating your food.” My grin is a bit teasing. “Especially if it’s as good as your bass skills.”

Ranmaru chuckles, gently squeezing my leg. For a moment, a silence falls over us, and then he finally groans. “Alright. You can stay in bed fer now, but I’ve gotta get up. Omelettes alright? The options are kinda limited.”

I laugh, but I nod. “Omelettes sound good.”

It takes another long moment to untangle myself from Ranmaru- and Ranmaru doesn’t make it easier, because he’s slow in releasing me, and slow in moving, too. I do stay in the bed, but I watch him moving around the kitchen. Ranmaru sets things up, and I see him fish an apron out of one of the drawers, and I can’t help the grin. 

“What’s that look for?” Ranmaru’s eyebrow raises when he catches my expression. 

“You look good in that apron.” Especially without a shirt- it really was a sight for sore eyes. 

Ranmaru makes an amused huff. “Thanks.” 

The smell from his cooking fills the small room fast, but I don’t get up until he’s nearly done. He plates the food on two separate plates, setting them on the island before taking off his apron. I watch his eyes sweep over the living room, seemingly trying to figure something out. 

“Our choices ‘r probably eatin’ on the floor, or sharin’ the chair.”

“Sharing the chair?” It wasn’t necessarily my choice- but I was interested in the idea. Ranmaru takes it as my choice, which makes me wonder if that’s what he was hoping I’d say. 

“Here, take your plate.” He hands me one of the plates, grabbing his own. He sits on the chair, and then pats his lap. I can’t help the amused expression, wondering _exactly_ how this would work out. I move, to settle myself on his lap, and I end up sideways, my legs hanging over the edge and my shoulder pressed to his chest. The arm that’s around me, to steady me, holds his plate, his utensil in his other hand. My plate is a bit closer to myself, just above my own lap. 

It takes a few tries to find the easiest way to eat, this close to each other, but we do figure it out. Ranmaru ends up finishing just before I do, but even when we’re both done, we sit there for a long moment. I let my head rest against Ranmaru’s shoulder, and my eyes close, dangerously comfortable. I wasn’t sure if it was the lack of sleep from last night or if it was just how comfortable I was with Ranmaru, but I was still tired, despite having napped for a few hours. Ranmaru gives me a few long minutes before he speaks. 

“‘S up ‘t you, but if you wanna stay over tonight, you can.”

“Can I?” My eyes open at the offer, surprised. “Are _you_ even able to? This is a set, right?”

“Sorta. It is basically a sound stage kinda thing, but I’m the only one that’s usin’ it. ‘S long as I’m here, no one else is gonna come in here.”

“...Then if I can, I’d love to.” My chest feels warm, and I can’t deny the excitement that comes with the thought. 

“Then let me get the dishes taken care of ‘n we can settle back in. It’s still pretty early, so if y’wanna watch somethin’ before bed, you could find somethin’ while I clean up.”

“I could help if you want.” I’d offer. “You did do all of the cooking.”

“I appreciate it.” Ranmaru switches the plate to his other hand, so he can tighten his arm around me in a short squeeze. “But I can get it.”

“If you’re sure.” 

“Positive.” Ranmaru’s arms move, and I get up, a bit unsteady, but when I stand, Ranmaru does too, taking my plate from me. 

“Thank you. It was really good.”

Ranmaru grunts. “Maybe I’ll get a chance ‘t show you somethin’ a little more complicated next time.”

“I hope so.”

I find the remote as Ranmaru begins to clean the kitchen, and I settle on a TV show- though I’m not sure how much of it I’m going to make it through. I couldn’t deny that I was excited to get back in bed with Ranmaru. I settle into the bed when the show is selected and Ranmaru is heading back to the bed, and he climbs in after me. We’re sat up, against the back of the couch, and Ranmaru throws the blanket over us, pulling me into his side. 

“So, babe.” Ranmaru is smirking, his voice is teasing. “Did I meet your conditions?”

“Above and beyond, Ran. Although I wouldn’t mind another kiss.” My own grin is teasing as well, and he rewards me, placing his hand on my cheek to tilt my face towards him. The kiss is deep, and rough, and absolutely satisfying- and when he pulls back, he only pulls back for a moment before he leans back in for another. 

“Better?” 

“Absolutely.”

I make it through almost two episodes before I find myself drifting off against Ranmaru’s shoulder. 

When I wake up, I’m laying down, Ranmaru’s arms wrapped tightly around me, our legs tangled together and my head on his chest. He’s still asleep, so I just settle in, enjoying the feeling of him holding me. I’m not sure how much time passes, but it’s not nearly enough when Ranmaru wakes up. I feel his lips press against the top of my head. “Mornin’ babe.”

“Good morning.” I smile softly, gently squeezing Ranmaru with the arm wrapped around his waist.

Ranmaru gives both of us a few long minutes, for me to enjoy and for him to really wake up. He finally groans. “This was real fuckin’ nice, but I think we’ve probably gotta get ready ‘t leave.”

“Alright.” It’s not easy to hide the dismay that comes from leaving- but it helps, having gotten so much extra time with him. “Last night was amazing, you know. I’m really glad you let me stay.”

“Yeah?” When I glance up, Ranmaru’s smirking, but his expression looking down at me is softer. “‘M glad you stayed.”

When we get out of the bed, Ranmaru catches my arm. “By the way. I want you ‘t hold onto the sweatshirt ‘n wear it, next time y’come back.”

“So I’m coming back?” My smile is playful.

“For now.” Ranmaru gently nudges me towards my clothes, lying on the island, but his expression makes it clear that he’s teasing me.

I end up putting on my pants but leaving on his sweatshirt, and when I leave, I can see in his expression that he’s glad to see it.

As I’m moving towards the door to get my shoes on, I’m stopped with an arm around my waist as Ranmaru pulls me closer. “I’ll see you next time, babe.” I feel him land a kiss against the corner of my jaw. 

I can feel my entire body warm- and I can’t ignore the slight happy buzz. I find myself smiling- and I can’t deny that this parting feels less bittersweet, with a confirmation that he’d like me to return. “I’m looking forward to it.”


	7. Chapter Seven

Later that night, I’ve already received an email- inviting me back to both Ren and Ranmaru. It’s a week away, and I’m scheduled to be back at Ren’s room first, though it’s marked back down to an hour. 

Ranmaru’s room has a beginning time, only a half an hour after I’m scheduled to leave Ren’s, but it doesn’t seem to have an end time- and I can’t deny that it makes me happy to see that. 

But as much as I loved spending time with Ranmaru, there was a sense of disappointment that there was no way to spend extra time with Ren. Although, it seemed like there were still other people that Ren was seeing. 

When I return, I’m wearing Ranmaru’s sweater. I’ve rolled up the sleeves, to make it fit a bit better- but I couldn’t deny that it was nice to wear. Even if it felt a little strange, to visit Ren while wearing it. 

Ren isn’t waiting outside for me, so I instead knock on the door. When it opens, I’m shocked to see a different boy. 

This boy is wearing a bright smile- nearly as bright as his fire red hair. He was dressed simply, in jeans and a t-shirt, but seeing this boy in Ren’s room, instead of Ren, was strange. 

“Hey! Come in!” 

I hesitate a bit, mostly in my confusion. “Ah, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude- but I was actually looking for Ren.”

“You’re in the right place.” The boy assures. “Ren had me fill in today for him. He’s sorry he can’t be here!”

There’s a heavy sense of disappointment- and I do feel bad for it. I’m careful to not let it show on my face. “I hope nothing happened.” My concern was genuine- and my thoughts were on Ren. I hoped he wasn’t sick, and I hoped that nothing bad had happened. 

“He’s alright.” The boy smiles, and it is a kind expression. “Something just came up.”

“Well, I’m glad he’s alright. And it is a pleasure to meet you…”

“Otoya.” 

“Otoya. And this is nothing against you! But if Ren isn’t here, I’d feel weird, going through with the date. But please tell him that I hope that everything’s alright.” I smile, a bit awkwardly, but before I can back up, to head to my car, Otoya stops me.

“Before you go!” Otoya seems to fish in his pocket, pulling out a card. “Ren wanted me to give you this.” Otoya’s smile seems strange to me- too happy. I certainly hadn’t meant to reject him, but isn’t that what I just did? He certainly doesn’t seem bothered by it. 

Not that that isn’t a good thing.

I take the card from him. “Thank you.”

“Of course! I hope you have a good day!” 

“You too, Otoya.”

I read the card on the way to my car, though I’m stopped, when I actually read it.

**_Conditions ~_ **  
**_~ Go to Ran’s room_ **

Something about the statement really catches me. I hadn’t actually told either man _who_ the other boy I had been seeing was. I felt nervous, admittedly. I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

But I would. 

I turn around, to begin to make the familiar path to Ranmaru’s room, stopping outside of the door. I knock gently, and when the door opens, I’m still expecting to see Ranmaru. 

So when Ren opens the door, it takes me aback. I suppose I should have been expecting it, but it was strange, seeing Ren in Ranmaru’s room.

“I’m glad to see you, baby.” Ren purrs, pulling me closer. “I knew you’d get the card.”

“I was supposed to, wasn’t I?” I’m incredibly confused by the entire situation, though my hands move to Ren’s arms, almost instinctively. 

“We’re getting very close to the end.” Ren says, and his voice sounds almost softer. “I feel bad, testing you without letting you know- but that’s what that was.”

“A test?” I was lost.

“That’s why Ikki was there.” Ren says gently. “The boy with the red hair. To offer you a session. I told him to give you the card, if you seemed serious about me. I wanted to make sure it was _me_ you were into, baby. Not just the idea of the dates.”

I get quiet for a second. I’m not sure how to take it- but I’m not offended. His reasoning wasn’t absurd, and while maybe I could feel tricked, I wasn’t sure that’s how I took it. “I am serious about you.” I’d say finally, but then my voice would change. “...But I’m serious about Ran, too.”

“I know.” Ren says softly, but he doesn’t seem upset. “We’ve been talking for the past few dates. We send out those emails, you know.”

“I… really?” At this point, I feel that I should be used to being surprised- but I was being thrown a lot of information. 

“We’re in charge of almost all of this. The first few emails weren’t from us- but all of the recent ones have been. That’s why you’re here. To see if we can all work together.”

“ _Really?_ ”

“If you’re up for trying it, then yes.” Ren smiles, but then it falters. “...We both want to choose you, baby. And we’d both be happy to have you. Ran and I are willing to make this work- but if you can’t, we haven’t changed our minds. But you’d have to choose between us, if you aren’t comfortable with both of us.”

“I am.” My own voice comes out soft. It’s a bit strained- this really wasn’t what I was expecting at all. “I’m willing to try.” The thought of choosing between them felt painful. I really didn’t want to- “So long as both of you really are comfortable with the idea.”

“You’re sweet.” Ren’s voice turns into a coo. “Why don’t you come in and see for yourself?”

I automatically glance over Ren’s shoulder, and I do catch sight of Ranmaru, sitting on the couch, his head turned towards us. He doesn’t seem bothered, despite my position in Ren’s embrace. Ren lets me go, to wrap his arm around me, to lead me in. The strangeness of being led into Ranmaru’s room by Ren doesn’t escape me. 

Ranmaru’s eyes land on the sweatshirt, and I catch his approving expression as I slip off my shoes. There is a card, lying on the couch, and even from my spot by the door I can see the difference in the handwriting. 

Ren leads me to the couch when my shoes are by the door. Both Ren’s shoes and Ranmaru’s are already there. Ren’s clothing style is relaxed- and Ranmaru’s wearing sleep clothes himself. He does click his tongue, noticing my jeans. 

“Next time y’come, you should dress down. Not that I’d mind if y’just took off your pants now.”

Ren’s eyebrows raise at the suggestion. “I could.” I glance towards Ren, and my face goes just a but more red. “Unless you’re uncomfortable with it.”

Ren’s grin is amused. “I’m certainly not.” 

My blush doesn’t completely die down, but I stand. I begin to make my way to the bathroom, but Ranmaru’s look stops me. “If you’re just takin’ ‘em off you can do it out here.”

I look back at Ranmaru, but Ranmaru and Ren are both looking at me. I can feel my blush travel down further, burning the tips of my ears and traveling down my throat, to my shoulders from their intense gaze, but I do end up taking my jeans off where I am. I fold them, setting them on the island, and I can see Ren looking me up and down as I settle back down on the couch between them. 

“Here’s your next card, baby.” Ren hands me the card- and while most of the writing seems to be Ranmaru’s, the card itself is trimmed neatly, like most of Ren’s cards had been. 

**Requirements**  
**\- 2 kisses (each)**  
**_*An ‘I love you’ (each)_**

I was amused by the ‘each’, but I’d smile, looking down at the paper. It was cute. 

**“We’ve got plenty ‘a time, too.” Ranmaru adds. “So no need ‘t rush through ‘em.**

****

****

****“Can we pull out the bed?”** **

****“The bed?” Ren’s eyebrow raises, looking over at Ranmaru’s.** **

****“Yeah.” At first, I’m not sure who he’s responding too, but as he gets up, I wonder if it’s both of us. I stand as well, and Ren takes the cue to stand. “‘Ere, you grab the cushions, babe. Ren, there’s a latch over there. When he gets outta the way, unlatch it.”** **

****Ren nods, and I grab the cushions, pulling them off of the couch and getting out of the way as Ren and Ranmaru get the couch pulled out. I head towards the bathroom, to start getting the pillows and blankets, and I notice that there’s an extra blanket and a few more pillows, stuffed into the cabinet. I grab the blankets first, just as Ranmaru enters the bathroom, Ren not far behind. Ranmaru takes the blankets from me, and Ren enters the bathroom, getting the cue to help me carry out the pillows.** **

****“I should have asked for a pullout couch.” Ren says, his voice heavily amused. “I think I’m jealous.”** **

****“It’s been nice.” I say, nodding a bit, and it makes Ranmaru chuckle.** **

****“‘S been real fuckin’ nice. I’ve been nappin’ between visits.” Ranmaru glances at me. “‘N sometimes durin’ visits, too.”** **

****“I’m excited to properly cuddle with you, baby.” Ren purrs, wrapping his arms around me. “You just can’t get close enough sitting on a couch.”** **

****“I’m looking forward to it.” My hands find their way on top of Ren’s squeezing his hands, and then Ranmaru steps up, his hands landing higher on my waist, above Ren’s. In between them, I can feel my heart race. One of my hands stays on Ren’s, and the other moves, to hold onto Ranmaru’s arm.** **

****I hadn’t expected just how nice it would feel, to be pressed between Ren and Ranmaru- but I was happy. The type of happy that I felt like they could see, just from looking at me.** **

****One of my hands moves, to cup Ranmaru’s cheek, and he leans in, to press his lips to mine. I feel Ren press a kiss to the side of my neck, and one of Ren’s hands move, running over my stomach. When Ranmaru and I finally pull away, Ranmaru speaks, his voice a mumble. “We should get on the couch.”** **

****“I agree.” Ren adds. They slowly pull away from me, and I feel a loss from their absence. I follow Ranmaru, though he urges me onto the bed before he gets on, and Ren slides in from the other side. This time, I face Ren, resting my head on his chest and my hand on his stomach. His hand lands over mine. Ranmaru presses against my back, his arm wrapping around my waist.** **

****For a long moment, we rest in a comfortable silence. Our legs tangle together, and I can’t tell what belongs to who. Ranmaru’s hand lowers, onto my bare thigh, under the shirt- just under my hip. When I speak, my voice is a mumble, but it doesn’t seem to take away from the feelings. “I love you, Ren.” I move my hand, and Ren lets me, so that I can take Ranmaru’s hand from my thigh to hold onto it tightly. “I love you, Ran.”** **

****I wasn’t sure how far from the truth the words were anymore.** **

****Ranmaru squeezes my hand back tightly, and I feel his warm breath brushing my ear when he moves, his voice low. “I love you, too, babe.”** **

****Ren’s voice is a soft coo, his hand lifting, his fingers brushing against my jaw. “I love you, baby doll.”** **

****I tilt my head up, and Ren gets the message, ducking his head to press his lips against mine in a gentle kiss. I release Ranmaru’s hand, to raise my hand to Ren’s chest, and Ranmaru’s hand settles back on my thigh, his thumb running across my skin.** **

****I felt happy. I felt warm- between both of them and the feelings stirring in my chest.** **

****We were moving fast. This was faster than I had ever expected to move, and further than I ever expected to get. But I could let myself enjoy this.** **

****After all- the way they’ve been doting on me, especially the further into the dates we’ve gotten, seems sincere. The happy, satisfied and content expressions that I’ve seen them wear have seemed real- and they had no real obligation to keep inviting me back.** **

****I rest my head back on Ren’s chest. “I’d like to keep you here.” I mumble. “But I have to check Ren- do you have any other visits you need to get to today?”** **

****“I don’t, baby.” Ren assures. “I told you I chose you, and I mean it. Today is all about you, me and Ran.”** **

****“I’m glad.” My hand curls into Ren’s shirt.** **

****“How’d y’sleep last night?” Ranmaru speaks up, squeezing my thigh.** **

****“I slept.” I promise. “Much better than last time. ...Though I can’t say I’d mind napping with either of you.”** **

****Ren chuckles. “You can sleep.” Ren’s voice changes, low and smooth. “I certainly don’t mind being your pillow.”** **

****“Careful with your offers.” I mumble, shifting to rest more comfortably against Ren’s chest, pressing just a bit closer to Ranmaru as well. “I might never let you leave.”** **

****“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Ren teases. I can hear Ranmaru’s amused scoff behind me.** **

****I close my eyes, and I feel Ranmaru’s hand leave me, but a moment later I feel a blanket draped over me. Ren helps, adjusting it over us, and then Ranmaru’s hand returns to my waist to hold me tightly. I already feel myself falling asleep- and my voice is quiet, quieter than the first time I had said it. “I love you, both.” This one feels more cautious- I’m almost nervous.** **

****Ren’s voice is soft, his hand lifting to my face, stroking my cheek. Ranmaru’s grip tightens- longer than a squeeze. “You’re sweet, baby. I love you, too.”** **

****“...I meant it when I said it, babe.” Ranmaru’s voice is quiet, but it’s serious, and it hits me just as hard as Ren’s response had. “I love you, too.”** **

****Their responses make me relax- and sleep comes to me almost too easily.** **

****When I wake up, Ren is awake, but Ranmaru seems to be asleep, his breath hitting the back of my neck, soft and steady.** **

****“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Ren’s voice is quiet but teasing. “Did you sleep well?”** **

****“How couldn’t I? You’re very comfortable.”** **

****Ren chuckles. “I’m glad to hear it.” He sighs, his hand raising to mine. My grip had loosened, but my hand had stayed on his chest. “When Ran gets up, I’m afraid that our night is coming to an end.” Ren’s voice is almost grim.** **

****“Alright.” I mumble. Ren’s thumb runs over my knuckles.** **

****“Don’t be too upset darling. Ran will see you tomorrow.”** **

****“Tomorrow?” My eyebrows furrow, and I glance up at Ren’s face. Ren actually seems a bit hesitant.** **

****“Tomorrow is the final date. ...It’s… I can’t say anything about it yet. I’m sorry for being so cryptic, my love, but I can’t say what it’s going to entail just yet. ...We do care about you.” Ren’s voice is quiet. “But no matter what, I want you to know that you don’t have to go through with what we’re going to ask you to do the next few days.”** **

****I was nervous, listening to Ren, but I’d nod. I wanted to ask questions- but Ren had been fairly open about how this works. I wasn’t sure why he couldn’t tell me what it was, but I trusted that if he could tell me, he would.** **

****“Even if y’don’t go through with it tomorrow-” Ranmaru’s voice is tired, and a bit slurred with sleep. “I’ll make sure tomorrow’s still good for you. Can’t promise anythin’ after that, but you’ll have at least one more good day with both Ren ‘n me, alright? No matter what.”** **

****“...Alright.”** **

****“Don’t stress yourself out too much.” Ren squeezes my hand again. “Make sure you get some rest tonight, alright?”** **

****“...I will.”** **

****“Good.” Ranmaru mumbles. “But you’re not leavin’ just yet. Pretty sure y’still owe both ‘a us one more kiss.”** **

****“I’m not sure how I’ll manage that.” I tease, though the comment had gotten a smile out of me.** **

****“‘M sure you’ll find someway ‘t survive.”** **

****“I’ll figure it out when we’re up.” I promise. “I don’t think I could turn around right now if I tried.” Their hold was nice- but it would take some fighting to move from this position, for sure.** **

****There’s a long moment as Ranmaru really wakes himself up, and then he slowly unwraps his arms from around me, to move himself off of the bed. I’m slow in sitting up myself, but I do, to go get dressed. I don’t bother to go to the bathroom to slide my jeans back on, but I notice Ranmaru watching me as Ren gets himself out of the bed.** **

****When my pants are on, we head to the door, but Ranmaru stops me with an arm around my waist before I can get my shoes on. I turn in his arms, but I smile at him, teasingly. “Am I forgetting something?”** **

****“Are ya really gonna make me work for it?”** **

****My smile widens, but then I lean forward, at first just barely pressing my lips to his, before he ends up deepening it, one of his hands moving to cup my cheek, holding me in the kiss. I sigh, almost longingly, when he pulls away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”** **

****“Yeah. Come by at the same time as today, alright?”** **

****“I will.” When Ranmaru lets me go, I move over to Ren. My arms move, resting on his shoulders, and my hands meet behind his neck. His hands land on my sides, just a bit above my waist. He leans forward, brushing his nose against mine. “I’ll be seeing you the day after tomorrow.” Ren says gently.** **

****I tilt my head, to pull him into a soft, long kiss, and we’re both slow in pulling away. “I look forward to it.”** **

****Ren slowly lets me go, so that I can get on my shoes.** **

****“Stay safe.”** **

****“Take care, baby.”** **

****The comments come at the same time, and I smile, as Ren opens the door. “You both do the same.”** **


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and all of the chapters until the end of this story, will have smut in them

That night, I wash Ranmaru’s sweatshirt, so that I can wear it back again tomorrow, though I find myself nervous. I wasn’t sure why it was such a big deal that Ren couldn’t tell me about it. 

Ranmaru opens the door before I knock, despite the fact that I’m a few minutes early. “Welcome back, babe.” He steps aside, pulling the door open further to let me in. I enter, but I don’t see any paper. “There’s no note. I’m gonna be upfront ‘n just tell you what’s goin’ down today in a minute.”

I nod, moving to settle on the couch. I’m a bit surprised, when Ranmaru crouches in front of me. His hand lands on my knee, and his expression is serious. 

His hair is down, and his contact is out. He’s still wearing comfortable clothes- though this time, I am as well. “‘M gonna come right out ‘n say this, so hear me out, alright? I’m gonna be real with this, but I don’t want you ‘t feel like I’m makin’ you do this, just because I’m bein’ honest with what I want.” I nod, but I’m sure my face shows my confusion. “I want you ‘t sleep with me.” I can feel my eyes widen, but he continues, and I let him. “You can stop it anytime you don’t wanna continue, ‘n if you don’t wanna at all, I’m not gonna kick you out in either situation. If you go with it, ‘m gonna lead us. ‘N before I make any more comments, I need ‘t hear what you’re thinking.”

It’s a lot- but Ren’s comments make more sense. I’d pause, for a long moment, my eyes searching his face. “Is this because it’s the last date, or do you actually want to sleep with me?”

“It’s both. I’d probably ‘ve given it more time, under different circumstances, but I wouldn’t be askin’ you if I weren’t hopin’ you’d say yes.”

After a long second, I nod. “Okay. Yes.”

Ranmaru watches my face for a long second, and then he grins, squeezing my knee. “I’m glad ‘t hear that. …’M a ‘lil rough. ‘R you gonna be okay with that?”

“I will.” I assure. I couldn’t deny the fact that the idea excited me- and I couldn’t hide it. With how close Ranmaru was to my lap, I’d be surprised if he couldn’t tell. 

Ranmaru hums, but the sound is different. With my confirmation, his confidence is showing through much more. His hand moves, up my thigh, and he moves onto his knees, so that he can lean in towards my face. My lips press to my jaw, and I can’t help the shaky breath I release as he makes his way up my jaw to mumble in my ear. “Trust me when I say that I _absolutely_ wanna sleep with you, babe. But I want you ‘t listen ‘t me, alright.” His free hand moves up my other thigh as he moves, to nip at the shell of my ear. “If you need a break, or you need me ‘t go slower, or stop, I want you ‘t tell me. Otherwise, I want you ‘t listen, alright?”

“Alright.” My response is breathless. 

Ranmaru’s chuckle is deep. Husky. “Good boy.” 

His praise speeds my already quick heart, and he finally pulls away, though my eyes are glued to him. “I want you ‘t strip and bend yerself over the couch.”

I nod, though I can feel the heat rushing to my face already- especially when Ranmaru settles himself in the chair, to get a good view. His legs are crossed, his ankle on his knee, and his elbow is on the arm rest, his fist propping up his head. His eyes dark, but he’s wearing a smirk that makes my knees weak. I’m distracted by his gaze, and it isn’t until he raises an eyebrow that I start moving. 

I start with my sweats. At least my legs were something he had seen before- and this, and this alone, was the only thing I had already taken off in front of him. His unwavering gaze still made this almost nerve-wracking. But despite how closely he was watching me, it was clear that he enjoyed it, and that kept it more exciting than embarrassing. He’d chuckle, when I’d choose to take my socks off next. I have half a mind to head behind the couch already- but I had a guess that he’d ask me to stand back in front of him as I finished undressing. And if he wouldn’t, I think that I hoped he would. His eyebrow raises again, as I go to set my pants and socks on the island, before finally going back in front of him to continue. He looks amused. 

After a second of deciding- I actually choose to take my underwear off next. Ranmaru’s low noise shows that he likes my decision, but as my hands move to the bottom of the sweatshirt, he speaks. 

“Wait.” His voice is deep, and it sends a shiver through me. “I changed my mind. ‘Fore you keep goin’ I want you ‘t go put down the underwear ‘n come ‘ere.”

I nod, and I’m quick, to set my underwear with the rest of my clothes, going to stand in front of Ranmaru. 

Ranmaru shifts, his foot lowering back to the ground and his hands reaching out to set on my waist. “C’mere. I want you on my lap.” He coaxes me forward, getting me to kneel over his lap. My erection presses into his stomach, and I see Ranmaru’s tongue run over his bottom lip, his entire face darkening with lust. The expression itself is already almost too much. 

His hands move, settling over my ass just under my shirt- and the only reason I’m still is because I can’t decide if I want to move back, into his hands, or forward, to get some sort of friction. 

“Fuck, babe.” Ranmaru’s voice is almost a growl. “‘S fuckin’ hot, y’know. ‘T have you in nothin’ but my shirt.” He leans forward, to nip at a spot on my neck. “Trust me. ‘M real excited ‘t have you bent over my couch, completely fuckin’ naked, but I had ‘t take a minute to appreciate you like this.” Ranmaru’s hands lift, raising up the shirt as they travel up my back. “But ‘s my shirt. Only fair that I help y’get outta it, right?”

I can’t help but grin at him. I can’t ignore the nervousness that comes from sitting, nearly naked, on Ranmaru’s lap, but I couldn’t complain, having Ranmaru take off my shirt. Ranmaru slides my shirt up, but he takes a break once it’s lifted off of my chest, to press a chaste kiss to the middle of my chest. 

He finally gets the shirt completely off, just slinging it over the back of the chair before running his hands up my sides, humming. “Pretty.” His hands drop back down, squeezing my ass. “Alright. ‘T the couch.”

I’m slow, sliding off of Ranmaru’s lap, but his returned intense look gets me flustered quickly again. I head to the couch, bending over the back of it. My chest rests on the back, and my arms are bent, to hold myself up. Ranmaru watches me for a long moment, and I find myself shifting over his gaze- though I’m so hard that it hurts. 

Ranmaru finally stands, walking behind me, and he taps one of my feet with a socked foot. “Spread ‘em.” I listen, spreading my legs wide. His hand runs down my back, making me shiver, and then it runs over my ass, down to my thigh. His hand leaves me, and then a smack lands on my ass- louder than it is hard. It gets a noise out of me- much closer to a whimper than I’d like to admit, and his hand smooths over the skin. I think I can picture his satisfied smirk. His gaze makes my back feel warm. “You look good like this.” Ranmaru hums. “I wish I could keep ya here.” His hands land on my hips, his fingers digging into the sensitive skin. “I wanna go further. Can I?”

I swallow hard- more out of want than nerves, and I nod. “Please.” 

Ranmaru’s chuckle almost gets a verbal reaction from me, and his hand runs down my back, his touch tender. “That’s what I like ‘t hear.” Ranmaru moves, obviously with something in mind. He heads into the bathroom, and I hear a drawer open. When he comes out, I can see what’s in his hand when he stops by the couch, kneeling on it with one knee- one hand holding a small bottle of lube. He tilts my chin up with his index finger, and he leans in, kissing me with a surprising gentleness, and he pulls away a bit. “Remember.” His voice is almost stern, but I can sense the genuine concern beneath it. “I know I’m real rough, but if it hurts, or it doesn’t feel good, you stop me, alright? I can’t really see yer face like this, so no pushin’ through anything. This is fer you just as much as me.”

I nod, swallowing a bit, to try to get my voice as steady as I can make it. “I’ll tell you.”

“Good.” Ranmaru’s nose brushes mine. “We good so far?”

“Oh, absolutely.” My voice sounds very breathless, and Ranmaru laughs. 

“Good. It should only get better.” Ranmaru kisses me again, this one rougher, more like his normal kisses. “I’m gonna prep ya as good as I can, but you let me know if my pace gets too quick. I don’t mind if I’ve gotta slow down.”

Ranmaru gets off of the couch, though his free hand brushes against my face as he moves behind me again. 

“‘N here’s another thing.” I can hear the smirk in his voice. “I’d like ‘ta hear your voice. No one else is gonna hear ya from here, so you can be just as fuckin’ loud as you wanna be.”

I hear Ranmaru uncap the bottle, and then I feel his index finger press lightly against my entrance- not yet pushing in. My hands tighten against the couch, and I can’t help but to whine, trying to resist the urge to move back, into his hand. My noise urges him to continue, and he pushes his finger in. He’s slow as he enters, but he quickly speeds up with his actions. The bottle lands on the couch next to me, and his free hand holds onto my hips to keep me still. When Ranmaru’s finger pulls out, he returns with two- and he repeats the slowness of entering, but speeds up quickly after. He’s skilled with his fingers, and I should have figured that one out- what with his skill with his bass. He’s fast, fast enough that I can’t even begin to predict what he’s doing until he’s doing it, as he presses around inside of me and when he finally hits a spot that makes a warmth spread through my lower stomach, I moan out his name. 

“Ran-” 

Ranmaru’s chuckle is dark, and it gets another short noise from me, something akin to a pant. He presses down again, in that same spot he had found, and when I let out another low moan, he hums- and it’s a sound that makes me both nervous and excited. He leans forward, his hand moving from my hip to get near my ear, though his fingers remain inside me. When he speaks, he sounds proud, and I can almost picture his shit-eating grin. “Found it.” His nips at the shell of my ear. “‘N I’m real good at remembering.” He curls his fingers in me, to press heavily against that spot again, holding it until I’m whining and squirming against his hand. 

“Ran, please-”

“Please?” Ranmaru sounds amused. “What’re you askin’ me for, babe?”

I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to stop applying the pressure- or if I wanted more of it. “Ran-”

Ranmaru laughs. “Can’t decide, huh?” He dips his head, nipping at a tender spot on my neck. “‘M not done preppin’ you yet, anyways. I want you comfortable with three fingers ‘fore I try anythin’ else.” 

“I don’t know if I can survive three fingers Ran.” I say breathlessly, hanging my head over the couch, and it gets an amused noise out of Ran, as he ducks his head to press a kiss between my shoulder blades. 

“‘N why’s that?”

I can’t help but to press back, just a bit, into his hand. “It feels good. Too good.”

Ranmaru’s laugh returns. “That’s a good problem, babe. ‘N I’m real glad it feels good, but I’m not skippin’ any steps, or else it might _not_ feel good. I like rough, but I don’t like pain.”

“You’re being too sweet.” I sigh. 

Ranmaru chuckles, but this one is a sweeter sound. “‘Member when we were talkin’ yesterday? I told ya I loved ya, ‘n I meant it. ‘S why I’m gonna be real fuckin’ careful ‘t make sure you’re gettin’ as much outta this as I am.”

I lift my head to turn it, and Ranmaru gets the cue, to lift his own to kiss me. Right before his lips meet mine, I speak. “I love you, too, Ran. I’m already getting a lot out of this.”

Ranmaru’s lips meet mine in a surprisingly gentle kiss. “Good. I know it’s real fast, but this situation’s special.”

“I don’t mind it.” I say quickly. “It was fast- but I got you out of it, right?” I’d grin, though I’d have to stop, groaning a bit as Ranmaru’s flexes his fingers inside of me. 

“Damn right.” Ranmaru grins- though I can tell that we’re shifting back into the situation at hand. Ranmaru presses one more kiss to my lips, but he pulls out his fingers to press back in with three- and as his three fingers slide into me, I moan into the kiss. I feel his fingers spread, just a bit, and I whine as he pulls away from the kiss. He leans back, his free hand resettling on my hip. And then, with an extremely accurate precision, he nails that special spot again, almost like he’s reminding me that he remembers where it is.

My fingers tighten on the couch cushions, and Ranmaru manages to get choked sounds out of me with every press of his fingers. 

“If you’re ready for more, I want you ‘t beg me for it.”

“So that’s what you’re int- Oh, God, Ran-” My voice drops into a whine as he curls his fingers and presses into my prostate, holding it long enough to make me squirm.

Ranmaru clicks his tongue playfully. “Don’t go gettin’ cheeky, now, babe.” He finally relaxes his fingers, but he certainly doesn’t sound disappointed that I spoke up. 

Ranmaru curls his fingers again, and my head drops forward. “Ah- Ran, please-” My voice turns into more of a whine than I’d like to admit. “Please?” 

“Please what, baby?”

“I want you.” I lift my head, to turn back to look at Ranmaru with a pleading expression. “I want to go further with you, please.”

Ranmaru’s smirk is cocky, but it’s clear that I’ve gotten to him. He pulls his fingers out, though returns with two, far more quickly than earlier, and he scissors his fingers, getting a breathy moan from me, and then he squeezes my hip and removes his hand. “‘M gonna go grab a condom, ‘n then I’ll give you exactly what you asked for.” His smirk returns, full force, though as he passes to the bathroom he smacks my ass. 

I turn my head, to watch him enter and exit the bathroom- and he drops two packets on the couch. My eyes shift back to him, as he begins to strip. It isn’t slow, but it isn’t fast- and my eyes are fixed on him as he takes off his shirt. He removes his bottoms at the same pace, though he takes his boxers down with his pants, slipping off his socks as he takes off his pants. I watch as he straightens- admiring him. Ranmaru was already attractive- but seeing him _naked_ was an entirely different experience. 

“Damn-” I’m definitely openly eyeing him, and I can feel my heart skip a beat when his eyes meet mine as he ditches his clothes on the chair. He walks closer to me, running a hand through my hair, tilting my head up- and he ducks down, enough to press his lips against mine. I lift myself, using the cushions as leverage. 

Ranmaru’s chuckle is low. Sultry. “You ready for this?”

“Yes.” My voice comes out, laced with lust. The same kind that I can see underlying Ranmaru’s expression. “Please, Ran.” Ranmaru’s hand moves, his thumb brushing my lower lip and then cupping my cheek. I lean into his hand. “I want you. Please.”

“How could I say no to that?” Ranmaru kisses me again, and when he pulls away, he grabs one of the foil packets, and I hear it tearing open. I can’t see him, behind me- but then his hand wraps around my cock, before he rolls the condom onto me. He presses a short kiss to my back, over my spine. “Just savin’ us some mess.”

Ranmaru reaches over, to grab the second one, and I head it open, too. The trash lands further on the couch, to be taken care of later, and Ranmaru’s fingers press against my entrance again, sliding in easily. 

“‘Member.” Ranmaru’s voice is low. “If it’s too much, just let me know. ‘N I wanna hear you. ‘Specially when it feels good.”

I nod- I had tried to be verbal with him thus far, but right now I was overwhelmed with the want to have him inside of me. Luckily, he accepts my non-verbal answer, and his fingers slide out of me, replaced with his cock, simply applying pressure, not yet entering me.

And then he does- moving slowly at first. He doesn’t still until his hips are flush against mine. 

“Oh, God, Ran-” I moan. It’s a full feeling- and Ranmaru bends over me, his chest pressing against my back. One of his hands is gripping my hip, and the other runs over my chest, his thumb running over my nipple. He nips at shoulder, letting out a low groan himself. 

“Fuck, baby, you’re so fuckin’ good.” Ranmaru pinches my nipple between his index finger and thumb, and I let out a breathy sigh. I grind back into him, and he lets out a low groan, rocking his own hips into mine. “Tell me what you want me ‘t do.”

“Fuck me, Ran, please.” I press back against him again, and his hand raises from my chest to tilt my head, pressing his lips against mine as he rocks his hips again. His tongue runs over my bottom lip, and I moan as my lips part. Ranmaru nips my bottom lip, pulling away slowly. He pulls back enough to slide himself almost entirely out of me, and then in one smooth thrust he slides into the hilt, and I let out a choked moan. 

“Fuck.” Ranmaru groans, his free hand moving to my hip, to rock me back into his thrusts. On his next thrust, he hits a spot that sends a warm feeling all the way to my throat, and I can taste static with it. 

When Ranmaru hits it once, he’s figured out exactly how to thrust to hit it, over and over. I find myself helping him, finding a rhythm to press back into him. 

“‘M real close.” Ranmaru warns, and I nod. 

“Me too.” My voice is breathless, and I can hear Ranmaru’s pants- just as heavy as mine. Ranmaru leans down again, tilting my head to kiss me with an almost bruising force, nailing my prostate with a hard thrust, and I feel a shudder travel through my entire body as I let out a whine against his lips. I feel my knees buckle, trembling through my orgasm. Ranmaru’s hips move through it, until I feel his body shake over me, his weight pressing down on me just a bit more as he joins me. He pulls away from the kiss, and the hand still on my hip tightens in a short squeeze. I let my head fall, my breathing coming heavily. The hand that isn’t on my hip lowers to my chest, rubbing over my chest in a gentle, lulling manner. I can’t help the dazed smile that grows on my face, and I hum, sleepily and happily. “I don’t think I can stand up right now. But that was… God, Ran. That was amazing.”

“Fuck yeah it was.” Ranmaru mutters, his own voice content. He lets out a low groan. “Alright. ‘M gonna pull out, ‘n we’ll get ya on the couch, ‘n I’ll take care ‘a some things ‘n we can cuddle.” I’m not sure if the list was for me or for him. “Dunno if I can get myself together enough ‘t pull out the bed right now.”

I laugh, raising a hand to squeeze his hand over my chest. “I’m fine cuddling on the couch for now.”

“Good. We can pull out the bed later. I’m not gonna send ya out until later tonight.”

“I can see why I’m not visiting Ren until tomorrow. There’s no way I could do this back to back.” Ranmaru chuckles, and he ducks his head, kissing the back of my neck. 

“Alright. ‘M gonna move.”

My hands tighten in the cushions when he raises himself, both of his hands leaving me to land on the couch, to give himself some stability as he pulls out. I relax against the couch when he’s pulled out completely, not trusting myself to stand. Ranmaru grabs the lube from the couch, tossing it to the chair for the moment, and he takes the trash, setting it on the arm of the couch. “Can y’walk or do I need ‘t carry you?”

“Can you?” My eyebrow raises, but before I can specify what I meant, he’s lifting me. My arms wrap around his neck. “Ah! That’s not what I meant!” 

Ranmaru gives an amused scoff. “What else did y’mean?”

“I meant _can you_ \- I’m exhausted. I couldn’t imagine lifting anything right now.” Ranmaru makes his way around the couch, to lay me down. He reaches down, to take off my condom. 

“‘S not that bad. But trust me. I’m gonna finish what I’m doin’ real fast. I’d really rather be layin’ down with you right now.”

I smile up at him, though I definitely feel spent, relaxing into the couch. Ranmaru takes the trash, to discard it first, and he comes over to me a few seconds later with tissues, cleaning me up. He presses a kiss to my forehead, before he moves to dispose of the new trash- and then he properly folds his clothes and mine, before moving to return the lube. 

When he finally returns to the couch, he nudges my shoulder. “Sit up real fast, would ya?”

I do, though it takes more work than it feels like it should. Ranmaru slides onto the couch, to bring me back down, mostly underneath me. I feel him relax, shifting to properly hold me, and I rest my head on his chest, our legs tangled together. 

It had taken him a few moments, to clean everything up, but it didn’t change the afterglow feeling, 

Ranmaru’s hand strokes over the bare skin of my back, and I can feel my eyes getting heavier. 

“I’m glad I said yes.” I mumble. Ranmaru squeezes me gently. 

“Yeah. ‘M real glad you said yes, too.”

He lets me sleep- and he may fall asleep himself, though when I wake up, he’s already awake, tracing random patterns over my spine. I let out a quiet, sleepy groan, and Ranmaru gives a soft chuckle. 

“Think ya can handle two more days ‘a this?”

“Two?” I glance up at him, watching his face, and he grunts. 

“‘S long as you go through with Ren tomorrow, you’ve got one last day with the both ‘a us.”

“I will be.” I say, my own voice softening. “I am going to go through with him.”

“Good.” Ranmaru’s hand lowers, to move to my waist, his thumb trailing over my side. “He’s real into you. ‘S clear as day when he’s lookin’ at you.”

I pause, shifting, just a bit, and I can almost feel Ranmaru’s eyes on me. “...So this was it? For us, I mean?”

“Depends on what ya mean by ‘it’.” Ranmaru’s grip tightens around me. “You’re mine now, babe. Ya went through with everythin’ I asked of ya, ‘n now this is it. You’re not gettin’ rid ‘a me.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want to.” I find myself smiling into his chest. 

“It’s startin’ ‘t get late. Why don’t I make us dinner, ‘n then I’ll send ya off.”

“That sounds perfect.” My smile hasn’t died- and it takes us a long time to finally get up. 

“We should get dressed first.” I nod, getting off of the couch, and Ranmaru has to steady me. His hand lands on my arm- but before he lets me go he presses a short kiss to the side of my temple. I head to the island when he’s done, taking my pile of clothes as he takes his. When he’s done dressing, he heads into the kitchen. It seems like he’s gotten more ingredients, and when I’m finished dressing, I watch him move around the kitchen. He seems very at home, and I rest my elbows on the island, watching him with a fond smile. 

“I didn’t think that I’d get this far. I’m really, really glad I did.”

Ranmaru glances back at me, and the corner of his mouth lifts in a small smile. “Yeah.” He glances back down at the meal he’s beginning to make. “I didn’t think I’d get past one or two ‘a these dates with anyone. Think you were one ‘a the five that got invited for a second, ‘n you were the only one that got ‘t the third.”

“Thank God I was. It was absolutely worth it. And I want to thank you-” My voice is musing. “There are a lot of things I should thank you for, but this one in specific is for being so alright with Ren. For not making me choose.”

“You got real lucky with your choice.” Ranmaru admits gruffly. “There ‘r a couple ‘a the guys that I couldn’t get along with. ‘N Ren can annoy the hell outta me, but I like him. I think we can make this work.”

Ranmaru’s focus returns to his cooking, and my focus returns on watching him cook. 

When he’s done cooking, it’s a simple rice and meat dish. 

“Chair or couch?” 

My answer comes quickly. “Chair.”

Ranmaru chuckles. “I was hopin’ you’d say that.” He hands me my plate, and makes his way to the chair with his. I move onto his lap without prompting, and we find our position easily. 

The dish was simple, but it did show off more of his talent- more than the omelette had. “I’m excited to eat more of your cooking. I can only imagine that it keeps getting better.”

Ranmaru snorts. “‘M sure you’ll be eatin’ a lot of it.”

We finish the meal in a comfortable silence, and when I climb off of his lap, he takes my plate. He sets it on the island, to take care of it, likely after I’m gone. He sets a hand on my waist, but when his other hand joins it they slide down, cupping my ass. Ranmaru’s smirk is confident, and my eyebrows raise- though he moves forward to kiss me. When he pulls away, I follow, pulling him into one more kiss, and he sighs. 

“Least this time isn’t a real goodbye.” Ranmaru mumbles, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be seein’ you, no matter what, in two days.”

“Two days.” I confirm, nodding. He smiles at me, and it’s a _very_ nice expression. 

“Alright. Y’should get home ‘n make sure you’re well rested. I’ve got no idea what Ren’s gonna put you through tomorrow.”

“Should I be scared?”

“Probably.”

I laugh, but he slowly releases me. He follows me to the door, and I slip my shoes on. He gets the door for me, though he catches my hand just before I leave, squeezing it tightly. “Stay safe.”

My returning smile is bright. “You too, Ran.”


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A smut chapter

The next day, I show up in comfortable, easy to take off clothing. I didn’t expect to be wearing it for very long. Ren is waiting outside for me, his hair pulled into a high ponytail. 

“Hey, baby.” Ren smiles, setting his hands on my waist. He pulls me into a kiss, a short, welcoming kiss. He winks at me, his smirk teasing. “Welcome back.”

“I could get used to hearing that.”

“Hopefully you will.” Ren takes my hand, squeezing it. He holds onto my hand tightly, opening the door. He closes it when I’m inside, and I move to take off my shoes. My eyes catch on the paper laying on the coffee table, and my eyebrow raises. 

“A card?”

“It’s simple.” Ren promises. “But before you look at it- you should know that you don’t have to go through with this. Though, I’m sure as you know with Ran- if you don’t, this is unfortunately the end of our time together.” Ren glances away. “I truly hope that isn’t the case, but I’d never force you to do anything you’re not comfortable doing. But, if you do choose to go through with it- I ask that you follow the card.”

I nod, glancing at the card before looking back at him. “I asked Ran this, and I want to ask you, too. You want to sleep with me, right?”

“Of course.” Ren’s answer comes quickly, his eyes moving to lock onto mine. The serious expression on his face almost leaves me breathless. “I’d love nothing more than to sleep with you, baby. I know we’ve said this a lot-” Ren smiles, a bit teasing. “But I’ve never meant it more than I mean it right now. I love you. And I’d like to share this with you.”

I smile at him, a very soft expression on my face. “I love you, too.” I nod. “I want to go through with this.” 

Ren kisses my forehead. “I’m glad. Let’s go check the card, then, yeah?” He grins at me, and I can see the excitement growing on his face. 

I follow him to the table, and the card is simple. 

**_Conditions -_ **  
**_*Listen to me_ **

I look up from the card with a raised eyebrow. “That’s easy.”

“I hope so.” Ren’s grin has hardly died down. “Just trust me. I promise I’ll take very good care of you, my love.”

With that, Ren walks forward, to the island. I can’t see exactly what he picks up, because I can only see a bundle of black in his hand, but then he walks in front of me. 

“I’d like to blindfold you.” Ren shows me the item- a sleep mask. It wasn’t something I had expected- but I’d nod. 

He slips it over my head, carefully adjusting it over my eyes. I feel his lips press against mine in a soft kiss. 

“I’d like you to strip for me.” 

I nod. My hands move slowly, but they do move, holding onto the end of my shirt. I lift it over my head, careful to not knock off the blindfold. Ren adjusts it for me, and then takes my shirt. He keeps me steady as I take off my sweats, taking my socks off with it. After he takes those from me- I do the same with my underwear. 

When I straighten up, Ren’s lips press to the side of my neck, kissing down to my shoulder. “You’re so pretty.” He purrs. I can feel my face heat up as he takes my arms. “I’m going to lead you to the couch.”

I let him lead me, and he sits me down. He uses his socked foot to gently tap one of my ankles, to get me to spread my legs. I hear him shift, and I feel his hand wrap around the base of my cock, and my involuntary moan cuts off when I realize I’m moaning. Ren runs his tongue from the base of my cock, up the underside and to the head, taking it into his mouth, and I whine. His mouth is warm, tantalizingly so, and the way his tongue is working around my cock is skillful. 

“Ren-” My voice is a low moan, and I already feel breathless. Ren hums, which gets a low groan out of me. 

Ren takes me in further, his throat tightening against my erection, and my fingers flex in the cushions of the couch- and then he pulls back, his mouth completely leaving my cock, and I whine at the loss. 

Ren takes my hand from the couch, and he wraps it around the base of cock. “I want you to pleasure yourself, baby. I want to watch you make yourself feel good.”

The loss of Ren’s mouth had left me craving the pleasure from it, and that’s why I don’t hesitate to begin moving my hand over my now slicked length, and it slides easily. 

Ren hums, his voice sultry. “You look so good, baby. That face you’re making is so pretty~”

I’m sure it’s a sight- my slack jawed, panting expression. My hips move up, to meet with my hand, and I can’t help the whine when Ren takes my hand, stopping my movements. He presses a kiss to my palm. 

“I want you to lift your legs and hold them up for me.”

My blush covers my face and goes down to my shoulders, but I listen. He helps me lift my legs, and I’m bent at the waist, my hands on my thighs. 

“Stay there for a minute, alright, baby? I just need to grab something.” 

I stay still, holding my legs up. I feel open, exposed and vulnerable- and I can feel my heart pound, knowing that Ren could be anywhere in the room, and knowing that he could be looking at me. 

I can hear when Ren settles back down. I jump, just a bit, when I feel Ren’s breath, brushing against my entrance, before I feel his tongue press against the tight ring of muscle. If my hands were free, I’d have covered my mouth, to hide my whimper, and Ren gives a low chuckle. His hands land on my ass, and his tongue presses more firmly against my entrance, and I let out another whine when his tongue enters me. I’m quick to realize that his talent with his tongue extends to this, too. 

I’m panting heavily, whining, and trying my best to stay still beneath him. “Ren- Oh God-” 

Ren gives an amused hum, and I can feel it. He finally retracts his tongue, and his hands leave me. Less than a moment later I can hear a cap unclicking, and then I feel his index finger, pressing against my entrance. His finger circles the ring of muscle with a gentle pressure, before he presses in. 

Ren’s fingers are slender, and his hand is smaller than Ranmaru’s, but even with the size difference, Ren doesn’t take long to find sensitive spots inside of me, prodding them with one finger. 

My experience yesterday had left me much easier to loosen up, and Ren gets two fingers in quickly. He spends some time, curling and spreading and prodding until I’m a whimpering, squirming mess, and he chuckles, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh, just next to my fingers. He pulls out his own fingers, before adding one more, and I can’t help but shift. Ren didn’t quite have Ranmaru’s skill of remembering _exactly_ where my prostate was- but he was quick to find it when he searched, getting a mixture of moans and whines from me, a warmth spreading from my hips, to my stomach but centering around my groin.

I feel Ren’s hand, the one that isn’t inside of me, cup my cheek, and then he pushes up my blindfold. He’s got a wide smirk, but there’s a softer look in his eyes that doesn’t completely match, but it takes my breath away anyways. I feel the blush return to my face, taking in my own position and Ren’s, kneeling between my legs, three fingers inside of me, but he pushes himself up to press his lips against mine, curling his fingers as he does, and I hum lowly against his lips. 

I was being very verbal- and perhaps it was a leftover response from yesterday, but Ren has a fond look when he pulls away, his voice a purr. “Your noises are so pretty, baby. I hope you keep making them.”

To accentuate his point, he presses and holds down on a more sensitive spot inside of me, getting to writhe, and getting an audible pant. He chuckles as he pulls his hand out. 

“I want to put you on my lap. Will you ride me, baby?” I nod, excited at the idea, and Ren grins, just as excited at my agreement. Ren’s next step is to stand, to take his own clothes off. He wipes his hand off on a towel he had brought out, before moving to take off his shirt. I haven’t lost my position, still holding my legs up, though my eyes are fixated on Ren. 

Ren’s tanned body was beautiful- a real sight for sore eyes. He was slender, but toned, and I’m reminded of a model as my eyes roam his body. His eyes meet mine, and I glance up to his face to see his tongue run over his bottom lip. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until I had breathed in and it felt loud. Ren stops in his act of getting undressed, a heavily amused look crossing his face. He walks closer to me, and he takes one of my hands in his, letting my leg drop. His other hand moves to my face, caressing my jaw. “You’re doing so well, baby.” He purrs. “You’re doing so well in listening to me, too, but you can relax. You were so good.” Ren leans down, to press his lips against my forehead and I slowly let my other leg drop. I hadn’t realized the stretch the position had put my in until I was relaxed out of it.

My eyes follow Ren when he steps back, to get himself out of his pants. At first I think that he pulls his underwear down with his pants, but I quickly realize that he hadn’t been wearing underwear. He takes off his pants and socks at once, setting it in the chair with my own clothes, all of them in one pile- and I take a long second to appreciate Ren in full. “Like what you see?” Ren’s eyebrows raise, his eyes darkening. 

“Absolutely.”

Ren chuckles, but he takes the towel, to lay it down in the middle of the couch. He sits down, and he reaches out for me. “Will you climb over here? I’d like you to face me.” I slide over, turning myself as I do, hovering over Ren’s lap. He reaches besides himself, next to the bottle of lube that seems to match the one Ranmaru had, to take the foil packet. He opens it, to slide the condom on over his cock, though when he’s done he wraps his hand around the base of my erection, pumping it slowly up and down a few times. “Are you ready, baby?” 

I nod, although I’m a bit nervous. One of Ren’s hands settle on my hip, the other holding onto his cock, to properly position it, and my hands land on his shoulders as he helps me gently lower myself down. When I’m fully seated in his lap, I have to lean against his chest. When I shift, I let out a low whimper, hiding my face in his neck. Ren’s arms wrap tightly around me, rubbing my back. “Are you alright, darling?”

I nod. “I am.” I promise. “It’s just… different.” The positioning had Ren deeper inside of me than Ranmaru had been able to hit, and he’s nearly pressed against a sensitive spot in me- and I’m trying to adjust without overwhelming myself. I can feel Ren’s heart beating quickly, and I can feel how his breathing is unsteady, but he’s staying still for me. I tilt my head to brush my nose against the corner of his jaw. “I’m almost ready to move.”

“Take your time.” Ren assures. “We’re certainly in no rush. I want this to feel good for both of us, baby.”

“It does.” I press a soft kiss against his jaw. “Maybe a little too good.” 

Ren chuckles, but I move, sitting up straight with my hands on his shoulders, and his hands find my waist. I slowly raise myself, and Ren helps to take some of the pressure off of my legs, supporting me with his grip on my waist. Lowering myself is easier, but it gets a groan out of me and a low moan out of him, as his cock presses heavily against one of the most sensitive spots inside of me. I rock my hips slightly, whining. Ren’s head falls forward, onto my shoulder. “You feel so good, baby doll.” Ren pushes me down, and despite the movements, he’s gentle with it, but it gets a low whine out of me, when he applies pressure to the same spot, and the whine hitches when his hips rock up. 

“Ren- Oh God-” 

“Does it feel good, baby?” Ren’s voice is breathless, and I can’t help but notice the increase in pet names. The warm feeling in my chest matches the one in my stomach and groin. 

“It feels so good, Ren, fuck-” My head moves, until our foreheads rest against each other. “Ah! Will you do that again, baby?” 

Ren grins, and he obliges, though when he pulls me down this time he rocks up at the same time, and I grind forward. I throw my head back, my eyes closing tightly, grinding down again at the feeling, and Ren’s porn-star moan is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever heard. I move up, just a bit, to lower myself back down, getting into a faster rhythm, and as I get into it Ren lets go of me with one hand to start stroking me, timing it with the thrust of his hips. 

“Ren, I’m close- I’m really close-”

“I am, too, baby doll.” Ren’s handjob gets more focused, and when his hips rock up into me and his thumb brushes across the tip of my dick, I shudder with my release. Ren thrusts into me as I come, and I feel him shake underneath me, leaning forward, his head against my shoulder, moaning. He stills, breathing heavily, and my hands lift, taking his hair out of his ponytail to lace my fingers through it. As we both come down, I brush through his hair with my fingers. 

“Thank you.” I mumble, turning my head to press a kiss against the side of Ren’s. “I love you.”

Ren hums happily, holding me just a bit tighter. “I love you, too, baby. And I plan to for a long time. Thank _you_.” His head finally lifts, and he sighs. “We should get in the shower.”

“If I can get up.” I mumble, moving to lean against him. He still hasn’t pulled out, though I still haven’t given him a chance to. 

“Hold on.” Ren warns, and I do, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck. He leaves one hand on my back and he uses the other to help turn us, lowering us down until my back was on the couch and he was above me. I let go of his neck, properly settling on the couch, and he lowers himself to kiss me- lingering for a long moment. The kiss is slow and soft, and one of my hands raise to tangle in his hair. He pulls back slowly, before he pulls out. I can’t help but make a face- the emptiness and the actual removal both feeling strange. Ren kisses my forehead. “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” I say quietly. It feels hard to keep my eyes open. Two days in a row was tiring- I hoped I’d be recovered by tomorrow. “Do we really have to get up?”

Ren’s chuckle is fond, one hand dropping to rub my side. “We should take a quick shower. But I promise that as soon as we’re out that we can lay down together.”

I wrap my arms back around Ren’s neck, but it backfires, because one hand moves to my back and the other to my ass, holding me to him as he lifts me. “Ah!”

“We’d be here all day if I didn’t do something.” Ren teases. 

“Not _all day_.” I point out. “Only a few hours. Long enough for a nap.”

Ren laughs, and we enter the bathroom. He sets me down carefully on the toilet. “You don’t want to sleep until you’re cleaned up. It’ll be much harder to clean up if it dries.” 

I glance down at my stomach, and he’s right. My cum was drying on my stomach already, and I could see it doing the same on Ren’s chest. It wouldn’t be too hard to scrape off now, but I could only imagine how difficult it would be later. “A quick shower.” I relent.

Ren smiles. “A quick shower.”

Ren turns on the water and then moves to discard of his condom and take out three towels, to lay them on the water tank of the toilet. Ren moves to hover over me, and his thumb swipes over some of the fluid on my stomach that hasn’t quite dried, and he puts his thumb in his mouth. I watch his tongue swipe over the pad of his thumb, and I feel the heat rise to my cheeks and travel down my neck. Ren grins at me- clearly having pulled it to see my reaction, and he’d certainly get one. My eyes stay stuck on him. He leans down, his hair tickling my cheek and his breath tickling my ear. “Next time I suck you off, baby, I’m going to have to stay until you cum.” He nips at my earlobe, and his low hum sends a shiver down my spine. “Because you, my love, taste delicious.”

“Oh my God, Ren-” I sputter, and Ren laughs. He pulls away, taking my chin in between his thumb and index finger, admiring my red face. 

“Your reaction is adorable. I should start doing this more often.”

“I don’t think I could handle if you did.”

Ren laughs, a loud, bright laugh. “Well, lucky for you, the teasing is over, because the water is warm.” He helps me up, though I’m still unsteady on my feet. He helps me into the shower, though I have to lean against him. “I’ll make this quick.” Ren promises. “We just have to get ourselves clean.”

The way that I’m standing, the water is mostly hitting my back, and my head rests against Ren’s shoulder. Ren carefully turns us, moving me to lean against the wall, before grabbing the body wash. He puts some in the palm of his hand, closing the bottle and then he turns around to take the handheld showerhead off of the stand. He aims the water down, while he applies the soap to my stomach, and moves the stream over my chest, using the water and a previously dry rag to wash off my stomach. He’s gentle with it, and I have to focus, to avoid getting more tired than I already was. His actions were comforting, and it was obvious that he could tell, because as he moves the rag around my body, he does it slowly, rubbing over the skin in small circles. “I’m going to fall asleep standing up.” I warn. Between the warm water and soothing circles, it was a real danger. 

Ren chuckles softly, but he takes pity. He’s quicker, cleaning off his own stomach, and then he hands the showerhead back up, pulling me closer. He turns us again, so that my back is facing the water, and his hand moves lower- though he’s fast about it, trying to wash off some of the excess lube. His hand runs over my back, and over my arms, and then he reaches around to turn off the water. 

Ren has to help me out. “Did I work you a little too hard, baby?” His hand rubs comfortingly over my back. 

“I’ll be alright.” I insist. “I’m just exhausted.”

“We can take a nap.” Ren assures. Let’s just get dried off and then I’ll grab some pillows and blankets. Unfortunately, I don’t have a bed like Ran.”

“The couch is big enough.” After all- despite the bed, that’s where Ranmaru and I had slept last night. 

Ren hums, nodding. He wraps me in a soft orange towel, and he sits me down on the toilet seat. He’s fast in cleaning himself off, wrapping one of the last two towels around his waist and wraps one around his head, for his hair. He then helps me stand up, to help dry me off- drying my body first and then ruffling my hair with the towel. I’m dried off fairly quickly, though he has to take a longer time to dry his hair. When he’s satisfied, he lifts me, and my arms quickly wrap around his neck. 

“You don’t have to carry me around everywhere, you know.” 

“I know I don’t _have to_. But I don’t mind doing it. After all- you and I are officially serious now, you know. And after tomorrow, Ran and I are going to have you all to ourselves for a very long time.” 

I smile widely, tightening my arms in a short squeeze. “And I’m absolutely looking forward to it.”

Ren sets me down on the couch. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to bring the pillow and blankets, alright?” I nod, turning onto my side, ensuring that I stay awake long enough for Ren to come back. Ren comes back with a soft looking pillow, and a large blanket. I sit up, to make it easier for Ren to place the pillow, and he does, before sliding onto the couch behind me. I scoot further into the couch, and he lays down. When I settle down with him, I’m nearly lying on top of him, but he just covers us with the blanket. I’m already falling asleep. 

Ren lets me wake up by myself, though he’s already awake when I finally start to rouse. Ren’s hand slowly rubs over my back when he notices that I’m waking up, and he gives me a gentle smile when I wake up. 

“I must have really taken it out of you. You’ve been asleep for hours.”

I hum, my voice still groggy with sleep. “Situational.” I promise. “I’m sure I would have been a lot less wiped if I hadn’t been with Ran yesterday too. I hope I can stand up to perform tomorrow.”

“I promise we’ll space our escapades much better next time, baby. You just have to make it through one more day. I promise that we’ll try to go easy on you.” Ren pauses, and then he gives a quiet, amused scoff. “ _I_ promise that I’ll try to go easy on you.”

“That sounds about right.” I give a tired laugh. 

Ren pauses, seemingly coming up with an idea. “You know-” He hums. “Maybe I could text Ran to come to his soundstage and you could just stay the night over here. I’d let you stay in this soundstage, but as comfortable as cuddling with you is, if we’re going to be going another round tomorrow, I’d like you sleeping in a bed. Even if it’s a pullout.”

“That sounds nice.” My heart leaps at the idea, and while I try to keep my voice calm, Ren’s fond smile is enough to tell me that my excitement shows through. 

“Alright. I’ll go ahead and send him a text then, babe. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to get up to do that.” 

I can’t help the sigh, but I do unsteadily try to sit up, though I end up falling back over, onto Ren’s chest. Ren’s voice has poorly stifled amusement. “You okay, baby doll?” 

My hand raises, to cover my quickly reddening face. “I’m fine.” I reassure quickly. “My body isn’t awake yet.” Ren’s hand pets through my hair. 

“Here. You stay laying down, I’m going to slip out.” Ren supports me, as he slips out from under the couch. He holds me with one hand to slide the pillow under my head with the other, adjusting the blanket so that it covers the part of my shoulder it had slipped off of, and then he bends, to kiss my forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

I watch Ren as he crosses to the island, grabbing his phone that he had left lying in the kitchen counter. I see him tapping on his phone, and I can hear the clicks from the letters as he presses them, though I found my attention drifting to his body. I don’t even notice that _he’s_ noticed my admiration, but I can tell when I glance to his face and his attention is on me, a smirk on his face. 

Ren winks at me. “Like what you see?”

“Definitely.”

He laughs at my answer. “Well, Ran’s going to be here soon, so I’m afraid we’ll have to put on clothes. When I gets here, I thought that we could order something in.”

“We could make Ran cook.” I muse. “He’s really good at cooking.”

Ren chuckles. “We can certainly bring it up. I’m sure he’d be flattered, to hear that you prefer his food.”

I hum, and Ren heads over to the couch. I sit up, only a bit, but I move the pillow and watch him. Ren raises an eyebrow, but he sits, and I rest my head back down on his thigh. His hand drops, to pet through my hair, and we sit there for a very long moment, his fingers gently scratching at my scalp. Ren’s phone goes off, and he checks it. “Ran’s here. We should probably get dressed, darling.”

“I guess you’re right.” I mumble, though it takes me a long moment to sit up. Ren gets up when I do, and we dig through the pile of clothes to find our own respective outfits. Once we’ve gotten on our shoes, Ren grabs my hand before leading me out. When we make the short walk to Ranmaru’s room, Ren just enters.

I notice two grocery bags on the island of the counter, and Ranmaru is already in the kitchen. 

“Oh?” Ren asks, his voice amused. 

“Figured y’didn’t eat.” Ranmaru grumbles. “‘N I also know you like ‘t throw away money, Ren. No point in orderin’ anythin’ when I’ve got a perfectly functionin’ kitchen.”

I watch the situation with a small, entertained smile, but Ren nudges me gently inside until he can shut the door behind himself. I take off my shoes at the same time Ren does. 

Ren makes his way to the island, resting his elbows on the counter and his head on his hands, humming. “What are you cooking?”

“Soup.” Ren chuckles, but he makes his way into the kitchen to peer into the pot. Ranmaru pokes Ren’s side. “Oi. Outta the kitchen.”

“Aww- but Ran~” Ren gives Ranmaru a playful pout, and he only gets another jab to the side. “Fine, fine.” Ren finally retreats from the kitchen, but he heads to the couch and looks at me, patting the seat beside him. “Why don’t you come over here while we wait?”

I listen, heading to sit next to Ren, almost instinctively leaning into Ren’s side. Ren’s arm wraps around my waist and we sit there together until Ranmaru finally speaks up. 

“Alright. Food’s up.”

Ren slowly lets me go, and we stand, and Ren looks interested, though he gets a large grin on his face when he notices the pepper flakes, near the three plated bowls. 

“Aww- so you do pay attention to me.”

Ranmaru rolls his eyes. “You make it hard ‘t ignore you.”

My smile returns at their banter, especially when Ren playfully bats his eyes at Ranmaru and Ranmaru’s eyes roll again. I grab my own bowl as Ranmaru grabs his, though Ren stops to add the pepper flakes to his. Ranmaru moves to sit down in the chair, settling in as Ren passes him to sit on the couch. At first, Ren doesn’t pay much mind to where Ranmaru chooses to sit to eat- though almost on instinct I move to go to the chair. Ranmaru had been holding the bowl to his side, only moving it closer to eat when I’m settled on his lap. 

It’s casual, between us, but I get a glance at Ren’s face- at his raised eyebrow and amused smile, and remember that he hasn’t seen this before. It’s not quite enough to get me flustered- and perhaps that’s thanks to Ranmaru’s lack of reaction, and the fact that Ren doesn’t say anything. 

For a moment, we eat in silence, until I finally speak up. “I have some questions, if you can answer them.”

“Shoot.” Ranmaru grunts, slowing his eating to pay more attention to me. I can feel Ren’s eyes on the side of my face. 

“You both made it seem like you wanted to be with me, before… today and yesterday. Why was that a requirement?” 

Ranmaru hums, understanding the question. “We’re under contracts. We got into this whole thing by choice, obviously, but we can’t leave without meetin’ certain standards. In this case, it’s findin’ a partner through this business, but it’s not as easy as just bein’ into you. Our dates all have ‘t go right, and sleepin’ together is the last date. We can’t date outside ‘a this, because it’s our job.”

“...Ran- why did you choose to do this?”

Ranmaru sighs. “Desperate times call fer desperate measures, babe. ‘M not gonna get into what kinda situation I was in when I agreed ‘t do this, but it wasn’t a good one, ‘n doin’ this got me outta it. I just didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Ren?”

“Truthfully- I enjoy this. Most of my… _customers_ are ladies- and I enjoy making people feel special. I hadn’t expected to actually fall for anyone- but I’m glad that I did. I certainly don’t mind- not continuing. I’ve had my fun with it, and now I get to be with you.”

I had turned to watch Ren as he spoke, and his soft smile sent a warm feeling through my chest. If I hadn’t been trapped on Ranmaru’s lap, I would have went to him. 

“But now you.” Ranmaru comments. “What made _you_ wanna do this?”

“It was brought up to me.” I admit. “And I thought it was suspicious- but I checked it out and I liked your profiles. And then I kept coming back because I thought you both were really interesting. I didn’t think I’d make it this far, but I’m really glad I did.” I rest my head on Ranmaru’s shoulder. “But my next question is what tomorrow is for. Especially when you’ve both told me that I’ve passed the final date.”

“‘S a sorta confirmation.” Ranmaru answers. 

Ren picks up where he pauses. “Yesterday, you accepted Ran. Today, you accepted me- and tomorrow, it’s both of us.”

“I’m not against the idea.” I say quickly. “But I’m already exhausted.” I admit. 

Ranmaru chuckles, just a bit of smugness in the sound. “We made you tired, huh?” 

I ‘hmph’, but out of the corner of my eye I can see Ren’s stifled smile. He, at least, speaks a reassurance. “We’ll go easy on you. I know I went hard on you today, and I’m sure Ran did, too- but I promise you that I’ll make sure that we don’t go too hard on you tomorrow, baby.”

“I hope not.” I tilt my head forward, my forehead resting against the side of Ranmaru’s neck. “I enjoyed it- really. But I don’t think I could handle another day like the last two right now.”

This time, the chuckle comes from Ren. The conversation dies off, as we finish our meals, and Ranmaru takes my bowl to stack it on his as I climb off of his lap. I let out a quiet groan. “God, Ren, you really did a number on me, today.”

Ren laughs, and when he stands, he pauses to kiss my temple. “Well, we’ll get you lying down. Lucky that Ran has a bed, hmm?”

Ranmaru stacks his bowl on Ren’s. “Speakin’ ‘a that. _You_ woke me up from a nap ‘t get down ‘ere, so you can do dishes tonight. I’ll get the bed ready.” 

Ren lets out a playful huff, but he heads to the kitchen. Ranmaru gently nudges my side. “Watch out, babe. ‘M gonna pull out the couch.”

I move out of the way, though as he pulls out the couch, I end up shedding my pants. Ranmaru notices, chuckling. It wasn’t that my pants weren’t easy to sleep in- but after being unclothed for the past few days, I’ve realized that it’s nice, sleeping with them in a state of undress. I would stop at the pants, folding them to go around and set them on the chair. 

“You want my sweater?” Ranmaru asks, pulling out the bed. 

“If you’re offering- then yes. I do.” I can’t help the smile. When the bed is fully out, Ranmaru pulls off his shirt, though he holds it until I’ve taken off mine. There’s certainly not the same hesitance in stripping in front of them, after the past two days. Ranmaru hands me the sweater and I slip it on. It’s not quite as oversized as the one I had stolen from him, but it was still baggy and comfortable- and it left Ranmaru without a shirt, which was a nice touch. Ranmaru heads into the bathroom, and I follow him in. He passes me back the pillows, and he comes out a few seconds later with the blankets. I drop the pillows on the bed, and the blankets follow shortly after. Before Ren is even done with the dishes, I climb onto the bed, directly in the middle. 

Ranmaru grabs the remote to the TV, but he follows me into the bed. It’s only around six in the evening- and while _I_ feel that I could fall asleep, it is a bit early to really go to bed. Ranmaru turns the TV on, setting it onto the TV series we had been watching before, and then he climbs into the bed. He adjusts the pillows, and when he sits next to me, he pulls me up, to cuddle into his side. 

Ren finishes the dishes- though he ends up stripping his shirt before he joins us in the bed. He climbs in behind me, and his arm wraps around my shoulders, his hand resting on Ranmaru’s shoulder. Ranmaru doesn’t react. 

We end up watching a few episodes but when I begin yawning, Ranmaru stops it at the end of the episode. 

“Alright. We should probably get ‘t bed.” At this point, it’s nearing eight. It’s still a bit early, but I wasn’t complaining- and Ren goes with it, too. 

We keep our positions, as we lower ourselves to lie down, and I use Ranmaru’s chest as a pillow, with Ren curling himself around me, taking the position of the big spoon, and I find myself smiling as I close my eyes. 

I’m already on my way to being asleep when I hear Ranmaru and Ren mumbling quietly to each other- though I’m not awake enough to hear exactly what they’re saying. I feel Ren, silently laughing behind me, his chest moving against my back, and the tone in Ranmaru’s voice when he speaks next makes me feel like he’s smiling. When I fall asleep, I feel content.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut chapter, but also the last chapter!

I wake up in the bed with only Ren, but I can smell bacon cooking from the kitchen. I sleepily open my eyes, to watch Ranmaru making breakfast, and it takes a long moment before either man realizes that I’m actually awake. 

“Mornin’.” Ranmaru comments, when he turns to see me watching him. “Hope yer hungry. Breakfast’s gonna be done soon.”

I hum, and Ren squeezes me from behind. “You’re cute.” He coos, and I feel his nose press against the corner of my jaw. 

“Where did that come from?” I mumble, which makes Ren chuckle. 

“I just wanted to remind you, baby. That’s all.”

“Hey Ren?” Ren hums. “ _You’re_ cute.”

That gets a laugh out of him, and he moves, turning me just slightly so that he can kiss my cheek. “We should probably get up.” Ren’s voice turns teasing. “I know you and Ran have your eating situation all set up, but I need somewhere to sit.”

I can hear Ranmaru’s amused noise from the kitchen, but over the next few minutes Ren and I manage to get up. Ren sets the couch back up, good naturedly shooing me off when I offer my help. I instead choose to fold Ren’s clothes that he had haphazardly thrown onto the chair, and then I take the pile of clothes to put them on the corner of the island as Ren closes the couch.

Ranmaru finishes, less than a few minutes later, and he begins to plate up the food as Ren replaces the cushions, the blankets and pillows sitting on the floor next to the couch. Ranmaru makes his way back to the chair with his plate, and I follow him with mine. 

I lean against Ranmaru’s chest as I eat, just a bit closer than I had yesterday. 

“You’re awfully cuddly today.” Ranmaru murmurs, his voice amused. 

“Lucky for you, then.” Ren hums, smiling. 

“Me or Ran?” I mumble. I still feel a bit sleepy, not having fully woken up. 

“Both.” Ren affirms, sounding entertained. “It’s always a pleasure to have you cuddled up to either of us- but last night Ran and I spoke about what we’d do today, and we settled on gentle and sweet.”

I hum. “I can get behind that.”

“We’ll give it a minute after we eat.” Ranmaru assures. “‘N after today we’ll make sure we give ya a break, babe. No more three days straight.”

“Thank God.” I sigh. “Enjoyable or not, it’s a workout.”

“You’ve been crashin’ hard. I can only imagine.”

We fall silent as we finish, but I finish just before Ranmaru, settling my plate in my lap and burying my face in the crook of his neck. 

“‘Lil help, Ren?” Ranmaru mutters when Ren stands up. 

I’m about to offer to move when Ren grabs the plate from my lap and the one from Ranmaru’s hand, and then Ranmaru’s now free arm wraps around me, holding me to his chest, and I can’t deny that I’m happy. 

“Sorry to leave you on dishes again, Ren.” I apologize, but Ren just chuckles. 

“It’s no problem, baby. Besides- it’s nice, seeing you and Ran all cuddled up together. It really shows just how adorable both of you are.”

Ranmaru scoffs, “Dunno what you’re talkin’ about. ‘M not ‘adorable’.” 

I smile, teasingly, though I don’t pull back enough for Ranmaru to see it. “I agree with Ren. You’re really cute, Ran.”

Ranmaru clicks his tongue, and shakes his head. Dishes take just a bit longer today than they did yesterday, but Ren finishes, making his way back to the couch. Ren ends up taking out his phone, giving Ranmaru and I some time to sit together in the chair, and I finally tilt my head, to press a kiss to Ranmaru’s neck. “I’m ready when you both are.”

Ranmaru squeezes me, but he nods. Ren moves to put his phone away, by his clothes on the island, and when Ranmaru releases me, I slide off of his lap. Ranmaru moves, to open the bed, and I can’t help the teasing grin. “You really are taking it soft on me. Doing it on a _bed_?” 

Ranmaru rolls his eyes, good naturedly. He throws the pillows back on the bed, though he takes a moment to fold the blankets before he drops them on the chair, leaving them off of the bed. Ren’s made his way back over, to set his hands on my waist. 

“You know-” Ren’s voice is cheeky. “It’s been less than a day since I’ve last seen you naked, but I can’t wait to get you naked again.” He leans in, to whisper in my ear. “Maybe I’ll make good on that promise I made yesterday.”

The thought itself alright tightens a knot in my stomach, and Ren can clearly see it as he pulls away. His hands move underneath my shirt, and then he urges it up, and I help him get me out of it. Ranmaru clicks his tongue, when the shirt lands on the chair, but he lets it be for now, to approach me and Ren. His hands land, slightly overlapping Ren’s, on my waist. He lands a kiss to the back of my shoulder. Ranmaru’s hands are the first to lower, his thumbs hooking into the waistband of my underwear. I’m far too conscious that I’m going to be the first to be totally undressed- but I don’t stop Ranmaru when he lowers them. They drop to my ankles, and Ren and Ranmaru work in surprising synchronization when they get me to step out of them, without releasing me. Ranmaru finally does, but only with one hand and for a short time, to toss my underwear on the chair. My hands move, to hook my own thumbs into Ren’s pants, and Ren chuckles, letting me lower them. Ranmaru presses another kiss to the side of my neck, but when he lets me go, I turn my head, to see where he’s going. 

“I’ll be right back.” Ranmaru assures. “You wanna get ‘im on the bed, Ren?”

“Gladly.” Ren grins. Ranmaru heads to the bathroom, and I can already guess what he’s going to get. Ren pauses, just long enough to throw his pants on the chair, and now, in an equal state of undress, he gets onto the bed, pulling me with him. He adjusts some of the pillows, before urging me to lean against them- enough set up that I’m sitting upright. He moves, to kneel down between my legs. His hair had been down when he went to bed last night, but he pulls it up into a ponytail, and his grin returns. “Do you think you’d be able to handle cuming twice, baby?”

My eyebrows raise, but I know why he’s asking it. I do genuinely stop to think about it, as the flush slowly creeps its way up my cheeks, and then I nod. “I think so.” 

Ren hums, sounding happy. “Good.” He lowers his head, and I can’t help but throw my head back, my eyes already lidded when Ren begins- kitten licking the tip of my cosk, almost teasingly. I lift my head again, but Ren’s expression gets me, his eyes lidded. He’s bent down, with one hand massaging my hip. He finally takes the head of my cock into his mouth, his tongue running under the head, and I whine at the warmth. He hums, and my breathing is already coming heavier, but I can’t look away from him, his eyes never leaving mine. 

When he does finally glance down, it’s to lower himself, taking in more of my dick. I let out a choked moan when he begins to deep throat me- his tongue swirling around the sensitive skin. I feel a hand under my chin, to tilt my head back, and when Ranmaru leans down to kiss me, I whine against his lips. Ren lets out a low, muffled moan, and Ranmaru chuckles into the kiss. 

When Ranmaru pulls away, I reach out, my fingers brushing Ren’s cheek. “I’m- God, I’m really close, Ren.”

This seems to speed Ren up, his head bobbing up and down, before pulling almost all of the way off of me, his tongue running over the tip of my dick, and that’s what does it. He lowers himself, just a bit more, as I release, and he swallows almost all of it, nothing more than a dribble making its way down from the corner of his lips. He gently licks me clean, sending a violent shudder through me, and then he pulls away, his eyes on mine, making my breathlessness worse. His tongue runs over his lips, swiping out far enough to catch most of what he hadn’t managed to swallow. I know my face is red, and my panting is audible- but Ranmaru had caught my reaction well. When he moves, to put one knee on the bed to lean over to Ren, I notice that he’s lost his pants and underwear. My eyes are on Ren and Ranmaru when Ranmaru takes Ren’s chin between his index finger and thumb, leaning forward to press a kiss just below his lips, and when he pulls away, what was left near Ren’s chin is gone. I can’t help the nearly breathless whine, watching them. Ranmaru looks smug, and Ren’s wearing a smirk of his own. 

Ranmaru finally drops what he’s carrying onto the bed- the bottle of lube and three condoms. I hadn’t paid much attention before, but the bottle is nearly full. 

Ranmaru moves further onto the bed, and Ren follows. Ren leans over me, to press a kiss to my lips- soft and gentle. “We’ll give you a break, baby, before we start prepping you.” Ren moves to sit next to me, wrapping his arms around me. “But now we’re going to give you a very hard decision.”

“Oh no.”

Ranmaru chuckles, settling in on my other side. But he’s the one that continues. “We’re not gonna make you go all the way twice, but that means that only one ‘a us can actually go all the way.”

“...Please don’t make me choose between you.” My eyebrows furrow. 

“I’m afraid you have to.” Ren’s voice is gentler. “But I promise you that we won’t be offended. And we’re both going to be very hands on.”

Ranmaru grunts. “We’re makin’ you choose. ‘S not gonna hurt our feelings, ‘n it doesn’t mean you’re pickin’ a favorite. Next time we do this, we can switch. You’re just choosin’ who’s goin’ first.”

Ranmaru’s example had actually made me feel better about it. I’d pause, for a moment, and my voice comes out a bit quiet. “Ran.”

Ranmaru’s hand lands on my thigh, squeezing it. “Alright. You let us know when you’re ready.”

I do wait for a long moment, just enjoying both of them pressed against me, before I nod. “I’m ready.”

Ranmaru’s head tilts, to kiss the side of my neck, down to my shoulder. “‘T make sure we can both touch you, ‘m gonna avoid gettin’ on top of ya. We can either go at it sideways ‘r from the back. Which way would make ya feel better?”

I do think about it for a few long seconds- but what leads me to my decision is that having him besides me seems like it would be more intimate. “Sideways.”

Ranmaru grunts. Ren and Ranmaru both work to help me lower myself down, and Ren adjusts pillows, to make sure that we’d all have one under our head. Ranmaru sits up, to properly begin to prep me. Ren settles in front of me, leaning forward to kiss me. “I like this position.” He mumbles against my lips. I hum in agreement. 

Ranmaru uncaps the lube, and he’s quick to enter me with a finger. With the last two days under my belt, it isn’t difficult, and it begins to feel good very shortly in. Ranmaru almost immediately presses against my prostrate, holding it long enough to make me whine. When he talks, he sounds smug. “Told you I was real good at rememberin’.”

Ren hums, watching my face. “Maybe I’ll have to have you fuck me sometime, Ran.”

Ranmaru’s chuckle is low. 

My voice is a bit breathless, and I can’t quite correctly hit the teasing tone, especially not when Ranmaru adds a second finger. “I’d recommend it.”

Ranmaru’s laugh is a proud bark, scissoring his fingers inside of me. I can’t help but press my hips back, pushing into Ranmaru’s hand, and he relents, adding a third finger. 

“Ah- fuck, Ran.” I lean my forward, pressing it to Ren’s shoulder, and Ren runs a hand through my hair. The difference between Ranmaru’s actions and Ren’s affectionate one is pleasant- neither taking away from the other. 

Ranmaru finishes his prep work by pressing down inside of me firmly, and my moan is muffled by Ren’s shoulder as I squirm. 

Finally, Ranmaru presses a kiss to the back of my shoulder and he pulls his fingers out. I hear a condom packet opening, though I see Ranmaru’s hand move over my hip, starting with Ren. 

“Condoms for everyone, hmm?” Ren sounds slightly amused, but there’s a tone showing that he’s not entirely unaffected by Ranmaru’s actions. 

“I’d bet we’re gonna end up sleepin’ on this bed later, ‘n I’d rather not sleep in a mess, Ren.”

Ren’s chuckle is amused as Ranmaru starts on the second, reaching around to roll it onto me. I can’t help the quiet whimper or the movement of my hips, getting a low hum from Ranmaru. 

Ranmaru puts the condom on himself last, laying back down to settle himself behind me, his cock pressed against my entrance. He’s slow with entering me, but not as slow as he had been the first time. When he begins thrusting, he’s not as rough, his pace steady and smooth. I’m reminded again of his earlier comment about remembering when he begins nailing a spot inside of me that forces a moan out of me. When I finally pull back from Ren’s shoulder, he pulls me into a soft kiss, being very gentle with it. Ranmaru’s hand grips my hip, and I can’t help but notice that he’s hitting deeper than he had last time- though still not quite as deep as Ren had. 

“Ran-” I feel incapable of saying anything else, his name the only thing I can manage to say. Ranmaru’s lips land on my shoulder. 

Ren’s hips shift, rubbing his cock against mine, and his hands lower, wrapping his hand around both of our dicks, and a low groan releases from my throat, coming straight from my chest. Ren’s moans match my noises in a pretty chorus. I notice Ranmaru’s hand leave my hip, and I notice his pace slow, but Ren and I drown out the soft click of the bottle. Ranmaru’s hand reaches over me, over my hip, and I notice two things at the same time. The first is Ren’s face as it changes, his eyes lidded and everything just screaming how turned on he is- and the second is Ranmaru’s hand. I can’t see exactly what he’s doing from my position, but I can imagine it well- his finger circling around Ren’s entrance, slowly pushing in. Ranmaru’s pace had picked up inside of me, as well, and Ren’s hand stutters, and I can only imagine that Ranmaru’s found a good spot inside of Ren. 

Ren gives a throaty moan, his hips rocking, rubbing himself against me, and I can feel Ranmaru’s thrusts falter- he must be nearing his own release. I can feel myself near the edge as well. 

My breathless response is almost a whine. “I’m really close.”

“I- oh!” Ren’s body shudders, and I can see Ranmaru’s hand moving with his actions. “I’m really close, too, baby.”

Ranmaru grunts his agreement with an accentuating thrust. 

Ren’s handjob gets more focused, and when my hips move, I manage to rub against Ren and impale myself further. I feel Ranmaru’s thrusts, almost more powerful through his own orgasm, and he ends up fucking me through mine. I feel Ren shake against me, and he presses his lips hard against my own.

We all still for a long moment, Ranmaru’s hand staying in Ren, Ren’s hand still wrapped around both his cock and mine and Ranmaru, still inside of me- until we finally, slowly start to break apart. Ren sighs, when Ranmaru removes his fingers, and Ren lets his hand drop.

Ranmaru is slower with pulling himself out of me, because he doesn’t until he’s ready to move, to clean us up. When he does, I somehow manage to turn myself, to lean up to kiss Ranmaru. “I hope you don’t feel ignored.” I murmur. “The problem with that position was that it was hard to reach you.”

“Trust me.” Ranmaru’s voice isn’t more than a mumble, either. “I got a good deal outta this. ‘M perfectly content.” He leans down, pecking my lips, and then he groans, forcing himself to sit up. “Alright. ‘M gonna start cleanin’ us up.” 

Ren’s arm wraps around me, nuzzling into my shoulder. “I can help.”

Ranmaru snorts. “You’re fuckin’ half asleep, Ren. ‘S fine. I really don’t mind.” Ranmaru gets off of the bed, but he turns, leaning over to take both Ren’s condom and mine, knotting them to go throw them out, getting rid of his, too. He comes back with a washcloth, and in my contented haze, there’s no embarrassment as he cleans me off, and Ren seems to feel the same. Ranmaru goes to take care of the washcloth, but when he comes back, he grabs one of the larger blankets, draping over me and Ren before finally climbing back into bed with us. I bring myself to move, just enough to lie on Ranmaru’s chest. 

“God, I could sleep for a week.” I mumble. My eyes had closed, but I had managed to stay awake. 

“This was it.” Ranmaru assures. “We’re gonna give you a break now, alright?”

“So what’s next?” 

“Well- we won’t have the sound stages anymore.” Until Ren had spoken, I wasn’t even sure that he was awake. “We can stay here tonight, but tomorrow, when we leave, we won’t be coming back.”

“That’s… bittersweet.” I decide. 

“I guess.” Ranmaru sounds almost a bit indifferent about it. When he talks next, I can almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Just means that next time we meet, we’re gonna have ‘ta meet at one ‘a our homes.”

“So that’s it?” Despite how heavy my eyes feel, I open them. I can’t help the smile. “You’re mine?”

“Both ‘a us are all yours, babe.”


End file.
